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French Wine Discoveries tasting mirrors upswing in interest for Gallic wines

Published:  19 January, 2017

The Wines 4 Trade French Wine Discoveries tasting marked its 156th London edition with a new venue near Tower Bridge, bringing together 120 producers with dedicated focuses on the Loire and grower Champagnes, drawing over 500 buyers to what organiser Anne-Catherine Vigouroux described as the "most successful event" yet

The Wines 4 Trade French Wine Discoveries tasting marked its 156th London edition with a new venue near Tower Bridge, bringing together 120 producers with dedicated focuses on the Loire and grower Champagnes, drawing over 500 buyers to what organiser Anne-Catherine Vigouroux described as the "most successful event" yet.

First established in 2003, the French Wine Discoveries tasting has grown to be the pre-eminent source for buyers to seek out unrepresented Gallic producers and those looking to improve their distribution in the UK.

"The UK is a hard market, but still very important to France," said Vigouroux, citing the swing back towards Old World and French wines as being behind the growth in popularity of the tasting. "We are looking to increase the numbers attending and possibly grow the show further next year."

The common theme linking the diverse wines on show at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel on 18 January was the focus on smaller and medium-sized producers, often with good sales in other global markets, which are looking to promote their messages of individuality and terroir to UK buyers.

"We are one of the largest and oldest producers in Cahors, working with consultant Paul Hobbs, and are looking for wider distribution in the UK," said Jean-Marie Suavet of Georges Vigouroux.

"The original Malbec is from France, from Cahors, where we have been producing it for 2,000 years, unlike Argentina where it has been produced for 200 years, and we offer a very different style that reflects our terroir, but with a more modern approach than in the past," he added.

Similarly, fifth generation St Nicolas de Bourgueil family producer Vignoble de la Jarnoterie's Carine Reze said: "The UK is an important market and we currently sell our wines through a wine club here, but we are looking for an importer because we want our wines to be represented in the restaurants trade, and English people are familiar with and like our wines from the Loire."

Muscadet producer Vincent Loiret of Chateau Perriere, who has wines listed with Roberson, and exports to country's including Canada, Belgium and Germany, further explained the appeal of the UK.

"Our Muscadets are high quality and they fit with the popularity of fresh whites in the UK, so there are opportunities to have wider distribution."

The producers present at the tasting generally agreed that the UK is a tough market, but were positive - Brexit notwithstanding - that the interest in individual producers from France is on the up, and that a foothold in the UK is still worth pursuing.

"The UK is very aggressive on pricing," admitted Adrien Goichet, export sales manager at Burgundy producer and negociant Maison Andrre Goichet, who had been 'in talks" with Amathus Drinks. "But we are represented in 40 countries and have some great wines that we are looking to place with the on-trade - the UK is still one of the most important markets in the world."

How many deals are concluded on the back of the show remains to be seen, but the increased numbers of exhibitors and attending buyers suggests that France's producers remain optimistic about their prospects in the UK.

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