The KiKi Vendéen Story

Vin d’Épines: The Traditional Apéritif of the Vendée

Person holding a bunch of green leafy shoots from the blackthorn bush, with a background of green blackthorn bushes.
Two bottles of Kiki Vendéen aperitif, one dark red and the other blush white, one with blackthorn and the other with blackthorn and Poires de Vendée pears, both labeled Apéritif Traditionnel, standing side by side.

Traditionally, the people from the Vendée have made their apéritif known as Vin d’Épines with local wine and the young shoots harvested from wild blackthorn bushes in the spring. The exact regional recipes have been many and varied. 

Synonymous with conviviality and pleasure, KiKi Vendéen pays homage to these wonderful homemade traditions. For the first time ever, Heavenly Spirits offers two exceptional examples of this tradition with both a white and a red version.

Map of France highlighting the Vendée region in red, with nearby cities Paris, and bodies of water including the Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Loire River, and Mediterranean Sea.

Terroir of the Vendée

Spread over a 5-kilometer strip stretching from the coast to the Cozes-Bordeaux road on the foamy fringes of the ocean, the family land oscillates from champagne to clay-limestone and siliceous soils.

Group of six people in a winery cellar, standing around a barrel with two bottles of wine on top, enjoying glasses of red apéritif wine and engaging in conversation. The background has wooden barrels and brick walls.

Have a KiKi with me!

Very fruity, “KiKi” can be enjoyed chilled at apéritif time, with family, friends or neighbors.

KiKi is traditionally served in a small Duralex glass which is also often referred to as a “KiKi.”

A clear glass decorated with the logo of KiKi Vendéen.
A man wearing glasses and a navy sweatshirt snipping young blackthorn shoots from a green hedge with pruning shears outdoors.

Épines Noires

A bottle of Kiki Vendéen Épines Noires apéritif with a gold cap, black liquid inside, and a white label featuring purple and gold text, a small logo, and an image of blackthorn berries and shoots.

This Traditional aperitif is made with red Vendée wine and the young shoots of wild blackthorn bushes hand harvested in Vendée. 

Tasting Notes

Aromas of (morello) cherries and prunes influenced by the blackthorn on the nose. The palate is generous and very fruity. Kiki stands out with its beautiful structure, which is due to the high-quality wine with which it is made. The finish is fresh and elegant.

Poires de Vendée Épines Noires

Bottle of Kiki Vendéen pear and blackthorn shoot flavored apéritif with a white label and gold cap, filled with blush white liquid.

This Traditional aperitif is made with Vendée wine, young shoots of wild blackthorn bushes hand harvested in Vendée, and pears grown in Vendée by the Vergers de Vendée farmers’ co-op.

 Tasting Notes 

The nose is discreet, but the palate is generous and remarkably fruity, with delicate and floral pear flavors. Kiki has a lovely freshness on the palate, due to the high-quality wine from which it is made. The blackthorn comes through in the finish.

KiKi Cocktails

Bottle of Kiki Vendéen Épines Noires blackthorn apéritif next to a cranberry-colored cocktail in a pink stemmed coupe glass garnished with an orange peel and rosemary.
A pink stemmed coupe glass with peachy liquid and foam, garnished with a sprig of rosemary, positioned between two bottles of alcohol—an Dartigalongue Organic Armagnac on the left and KiKi Vendéen Épines Noires red wine apéritif on the right.
A cocktail in a coupe glass garnished with a grapefruit slice next to a bottle of Kiki Vendéen Épines Noires and Pear white wine apéritif on a dark wooden surface with green leafy bushes in the background.

Press

  • The French Apéro and How Best to Enjoy Apéritif Hour

    KiKi Vendéen: A Taste of French Tradition

    A true reflection of French farmhouse traditions, KiKi Vendéen originated in the Vendée region as a handcrafted apéritif made by local farmers. Often referred to as a Vin d’Épines, it is crafted with local wine and the young, sap-laden shoots of blackthorn bushes harvested in spring.

    Chilled Magazine
  • Red and white aromatized wine bottles on a table with small glasses against a background of greenery

    KiKi launches in the US

    Kiki is an apéritif produced in the Vendée region in western France and will be available in the US in two varieties; red Epines Noires and white Poires de Vendée Epines Noires.

    The Spirits Business
  • Red and white aromatized wine bottles on a table with small glasses against a background of greenery

    KiKi Vendéen Launches in the US

    The traditional, before-dinner drink from the Vendée region of France is also called a Vin d’Épines or a troussepinéttè, as it is made with local wine and the young sap-laden shoots harvested from blackthorn bushes in the spring. Long regarded as a homemade delight to savor with family and friends, the exact regional recipes have been many and varied. KiKi is also the nickname commonly used for this drink when inviting somebody for a quick late-afternoon or before-dinner apéritif. One would say, “Come have a KiKi with me!”

    Chilled Magazine