Business France’s Behind the Classics tasting on January 10 is a chance for buyers to find undiscovered wines and growers from across France. Here we ask Laure Monrozier and Pandora Mistry (pictured) what will be on offer.
Can you tell us the background to the French Independent Winegrowers?
The French Independent Winegrowers is a unique association of individuals who share a passion for making their own wines which express the terroir of their region.
How does the association work?
The association has 7,000 members, promoting the profession of wine growing and creating wines with personality. We have five specific criterias for membership which mean a grower has to:
- farm your own vineyard
- harvest your own grapes
- market and age your own wine
- bottle on your own estate
- sell your own products.
Tell us about your tasting you are hosting in London on January 10. What can buyers in the on-trade expect to find?
They can expect to meet the people behind the wines, hear their stories and witness the passion they have for winemaking first hand. The tasting will hopefully remind you of the human side of the wine industry which makes the world of wine so rich and appealing to work in.
We will have 30 producers from all over France who will be presenting more than 200 new wines to the UK trade and press.
What sort of styles of wine and trends will buyers be able to see and taste at the event?
More than half the producers that are taking part will be showing organic or biodynamic wines and work under strict environmental controls. There will also be a number of wines that have no added sulphur.
There will be the chance to taste some some rarely seen gems of France and get close and personal with some great regions like Ariège (Domaine Dominik Benz), Maures (Domaine de l’Anglade) and Corsica (Domaine Leccia).
For bubble addicts, there will be a selection of sparkling wines, Champagne, the on trendy Crémant and Clairette de Die.
There will be a strong selection of classic wines, such as Gevrey Chambertin from the Domaine Trapet-Rochelandet, very good value quality Languedoc wines from Mas du Novi and Domaine de la Font des Ormes.
Buyers can also taste and meet young up and coming growers, such as Mas Oncle Ernes making wines in the Ventoux area producers from the Côtes du Rhône.
We will have a selection of these wines to taste in a dedicated fast lane of wines.
Why are you holding it at the Vinyl Factory in Soho?
The Vinyl Factory promises to be exciting new venue for the tasting
We wanted a contemporary venue which could attract the new generation of wine lovers. The tasting will also feature its own in-house DJ, who will be playing drink inspired tunes and taking requests.
We also wanted to host it somewhere that had an individual feel, but was intimate enough for the growers to feel at ease. It also had to be somewhere that was really easy to get to.
Who are you hoping will attend?
We would like to see all members of the UK trade, buyers, press, sommeliers, bloggers and educators.
How do you see the UK market for French wine and your independent wine growers compared to other markets?
The UK is one of the toughest wine markets in the world, but the independent wine growers are a perfect fit to the natural curiosity UK consumers have for wine. They are ahead of many wine trends, and are interested in the real story behind each and every wine.
How can you recognise a French Independent Winegrowers’ wine?
The logo of the association appears on the foil capsule of each bonafide members wine:
- For more details about the tasting and to register then go to the dedicated website here.
