Davidoff cigars

Zino Davidoff was born in Kyiv in 1906 and moved with his family to Geneva as a teenager, where his father opened a tobacco shop. At 18, Zino struck out on his own, eventually traveling to South America to study tobacco at its source. By 1911 the Davidoff tobacco business had taken shape in Geneva, and over the following decades Zino cultivated a reputation as Europe's foremost authority on Cuban cigars — eventually securing an exclusive arrangement with Habanos S.A. to produce the Château series bearing his name.

That Cuban chapter ended in 1989 when Davidoff and Habanos parted ways over quality disputes. Production shifted to the Dominican Republic, and by 1991 the first Dominican-made Davidoffs were on shelves, maintaining the elegant, cream-and-cedar character that had defined the brand. Today Oettinger Davidoff AG, the Basel-based holding company that acquired the brand from Max Oettinger as far back as 1970, oversees a portfolio that has expanded well beyond Zino's original vision.

A Portfolio Built on Restraint

Where many premium brands lead with boldness, Davidoff's identity rests on precision and refinement. The Grand Cru series represents the house's purest Dominican expression: pale Connecticut-shade wrappers, pillow-soft draws, and layered flavors of cream, cedar, and white pepper that develop without aggression over a long, even burn. The Winston Churchill line, launched in honor of the statesman's legendary cigar habit, offers a fuller, earthier counterpoint with an Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper. Davidoff has also grown into one of the industry's most acquisitive parent companies, bringing Camacho, Avo, Zino, and Griffin's under its umbrella while positioning itself as a true luxury house across tobacco, accessories, and retail.