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Roberta Sabban
Maurice Amiel is in a festive mood these days.
Besides his birthday being today, he will be ringing in 2021 by celebrating The French Wine Merchant’s first decade in Palm Beach. His shop, tucked away in the historic Paramount Building, is reminiscent of neighborhood wine shops found in Europe. Sleek, softly lit mahogany cases display well-curated selections of mostly French wines. Stacks of wooden wine crates are waiting for pickup and delivery. It is a friendly place.
The current incarnation of the shop, like Amiel’s life, came about serendipitously. He was born in French Morocco and grew up in the 16th Arrondissement of Paris. At 22, after his university years, he took a trip to New York and decided he wanted to live there. He started in the fashion world, opening retail shops all over the country that featured collections of trendy French designers including Kenzo and Claude Montana.