France Buying Trip 2026: Day 14 – How We Build the Vintrepid French Wine Portfolio
Yesterday was our final day in France. After two weeks travelling through Champagne, the Loire Valley, Chablis, Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Northern Rhône, we made one final stop before heading home: Saint-Joseph. In many ways, it was the perfect place...
France Buying Trip 2026: Day 13 – The Future of French Wine
When most people think about French wine, they picture grand châteaux, old cellars and centuries of tradition. After nearly two weeks travelling across France, that's not what I'll remember. What I'll remember are the young families. Yesterday was our second-last...
France Buying Trip 2026: Day 12 – Back Where It All Began
One of the most meaningful days of the trip. After nearly two weeks travelling through Champagne, the Loire Valley, Chablis and Burgundy, we found ourselves back in Beaujolais with the producer who helped start it all. Yohan Lardy. Long before...
France Buying Trip 2026: Day 11 – The Best Discoveries Aren't Always Planned
Today reminded me why we come to France in the first place. The first day of the trip without a tasting appointment, without a schedule and without a winery to visit. In fact, we'd planned the entire itinerary around spending...
France Buying Trip 2026: Day 10 – The Future of Burgundy
Our final day in Burgundy and it felt like a fitting way to end the week. After a few days spent visiting producers across the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, we headed south to the Côte Chalonnaise to...
France Buying Trip 2026: Day 9 – You Can't Buy Everything
We've been in France for just over a week now and I feel like the trip has entered a new phase. The first week was all about discovery. Meeting new producers. Exploring new regions. Tasting wines we'd never seen before....
France Buying Trip 2026: Day 8 – Burgundy's Rising Stars
We've now been in France for just over a week and today was our first full day in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. It was also one of my favourite days of the trip so far. We spent the day visiting...
France Buying Trip 2026: Day 7 – Chablis Gets Complicated
We stayed overnight in Chablis and headed into another full day of tastings on Tuesday. By this point, the challenge wasn't finding good wine. The challenge was deciding between good wines. The more time we've spent in Chablis, the more...
France Buying Trip 2026: Day 6 – The Search for Chablis
After a few memorable days in the Loire Valley, we made the drive across to Chablis. The goal was simple: find a producer. As a French wine importer, I think it's important to have Chablis in the portfolio. It's one...
