Les Grands Chais de France’s Private Wine Day tasting takes place at St. Mary’s Marylebone, London W1H 1PQ from 10am on October 17. Here’s what to expect and you can register here.
Think you know Les Grands Chais de France – well think again. At least that is what you will discover if you go to its Private Day tasting in London next week. A chance to taste what it is billing as the crème de la crème of its entire portfolio.
A range that now covers 75 properties across all major wine regions of France and now a growing international portfolio of premium producers too that includes:
- Neethlingshof from Stellenbosch in South Africa, which was acquired in October 2022.
- Villiera Wines another key Stellenbosch producer with a strong reputation for its Cap Classique wines.
- Viña Las Niñas in the Apalta region of Chile that was bought early in 2022.
- Castillo de Aresan in Spain in 2017.
- Danubiana in Hungary.
An offer that hopes to live up to its mission of being “a global wine producer with estates in premium wine regions around the world,” says Chris Davies, who heads up sales in the UK for the on-trade and independent and regional wine merchants. “Having that international reach means we can flex and give so many options to our customers,” says Davies.
Already its international range accounts for over 25% of total volume and in 2022 produced 42m 9 litre cases.
Despite its size Les Grands Chais de France remains very much a family business from when Joseph Helfrich founded it in 1979.
A range that is attracting a growing number of buyers, particularly across regional wholesalers and independent wine merchants with the likes of Cambridge Wine Merchants, Oxford Wine Company and Hennings as amongst its senior customers.
Here we ask Davies to set the scene for this year’s tasting and what buyers can expect starting with what he is most excited about showing this year?
GCF’s annual tasting event is shaping up to be truly exceptional, for several exciting reasons. First and foremost we have a diverse and captivating selection of wines and spirits from around the world, showcasing both established classics and exciting new ranges to our portfolio, so attendees can expect to experience a wide range of flavours and styles.
In addition to the fantastic wine line-up, we’ve invited our experts and winemakers to share their insights of the latest vintage as well as to taste through their wines with our customers. It promises to be an opportunity for the trade to gain a deeper understanding of our family company and connect with the personalities behind our wines.
Furthermore, we’ve enhanced the overall experience with engaging educational sessions, food pairings with award winning chef, Glynn Purnell, and an interactive activity with an award winning mixologist.
Lastly, we’ve paid special attention to creating a comfortable and inviting atmosphere that encourages networking and collaboration amongst our customers.
Overall, I am genuinely excited about the blend of tradition and innovation, the exceptional wines, and the educational opportunities. This year’s tasting promises to be a memorable and enriching experience for everyone involved.
Who is the tasting aimed at and what do you hope it can achieve?
Chris Davies says Les Grands Chais de France’s key focus is to build long term relationships with its key customers in the UK across the on-trade and with regional and local independent wine merchants
Looking after the on-trade and independent wine merchants has been my role within GCF for 16 years and so as you would expect my core focus is aimed at that sector.
My main goal is obviously to introduce our exceptional range of wines to new customers to demonstrate the quality and diversity we can offer to their discerning clientele.
We hope to achieve several other key objectives through this event. Firstly, we always aim to foster stronger relationships with our existing customers, as we believe they play a vital role in introducing unique and high-quality wines to consumers. By showcasing our wines, we aspire to become a trusted partner and supplier for them.
Secondly, we want to provide a platform for the on-trade and independents to explore our portfolio first-hand. One-on-one discussions and tasting with our team will give them a comprehensive understanding of our wines and spirits, and the stories & people behind them.
In essence, our hope is that this year’s tasting will lead to new productive partnerships and cement stronger existing relationships using our core portfolio of wines and spirits.
What key trends are you seeing from the wines and properties that have been selling well this year?
This year, we’ve noticed two key prominent trends in wine sales that have shaped our offerings and with our customers.
First, in response to the recent rise in UK alcohol duty, we’ve seen a growing demand for wines with an ABV below 11%. Customers are increasingly seeking out lighter, lower-alcohol options, and we’ve been proactive in curating a selection of such wines to meet this demand.
Just some of the properties that Les Grands Chais de France owns across France
Additionally, the recent alignment of sparkling wine duty with still wine duty has had a notable impact on our sales. This policy change has levelled the playing field for sparkling wines, making them more accessible and attractive to consumers. We’re particularly proud of our extensive collection of Crémant wines, which have become a standout category in our portfolio.
What are your hopes for next year in terms of trends and what you expect to see more demand for?
Environmental consciousness and sustainability are likely to remain strong trends in the sector. Consumers and businesses are increasingly interested in eco-friendly practices, including organic and biodynamic farming, low-impact packaging, and reduced carbon emissions.
The trend for lower abv wines is likely to continue with consumers seeking lighter, more sessionable wines.
Then there is premiumisation. There may be a continued demand for premium and luxury wine options, especially among those looking for special occasion wines or unique experiences.
We have projects all over the world that neatly fit into these categories and will be unveiling some of these at the tasting.
What impact has the duty increases had on your range and how are you dealing with that?
Villiera Wines in Stellenbosh is the latest premium producer to be acquired by Les Grands Chais de France
Neethlingshof in South Africa is part of Les Grands Chais de France growing international portfolio
The recent duty increases have presented some challenges, as they have necessitated adjustments to our pricing. However, we’ve approached these challenges with resilience and creativity, and we see opportunities amidst the changes.
We’re worked diligently to provide our customers with a range of affordable, high-quality options. This has allowed us to introduce wines that offer excellent value without compromising on quality.
Additionally, the alignment of sparkling wine duty with still wine duty has allowed us to strengthen our sparkling wine portfolio. As a result, we’ve seen heightened interest in our unrivalled range of Crémant, which has been exceptionally well-received.
While the duty increases have certainly presented challenges, we’ve turned them into opportunities to diversify our range, enhance our customer relationships, and provide exceptional value to their clientele. We remain committed to delivering outstanding wines to our customers despite the government’s narrow minded approach to tax.
Specialist masterclasses
Les Grands Chais will be bringing key wines from its range to its London tasting on October 17
The tasting also includes three masterclasses hosted by the GCF wine experts covering:
- World Cup of sparkling wine: In honour of the Rugby World Cup in its home country of France, that is coming to the exciting knock-out stages this weekend, GCF is pitting French Crémant against the other World Cup favourites South Africa with their Cap Classique wines from their South African domaines including its newly acquired Villiera Wines.
- Rosé: a style steeped in mystery: A chance todiscover the rosés in GCF’s range and how it has wines covering different styles and price points.
- Outside Chablis, the hidden gems from the Yonne Vineyard: Chablis is undoubtedly the most famous of Yonne wines. But did you know this region has a number of other whites very worthy of note? They are home to some of Bourgogne’s best values right now, just waiting to be discovered.
Another key theme of this year’s tasting will be the support and reassurance Les Grands Chais can offer both in terms of availability of supply, but also the formats and packaging they come in. Davies says his team will be on hand to talk to customers about any trading issues and challenges they face and how they might be able to help.
It will also be able to show the different packaging formats it can also offer be it with cans, its new recyclable PET bottles and other formats.
- You can register for the Les Grands Chais de France tasting on October 17 at St. Mary’s Marylebone, London W1H 1PQ between 10am and 6pm by clicking here.
- Les Grands Chais de France is a commercial partner to The Buyer. Find out more about what it can offer you here.
