10 Leading Wine Importers In France

Encouraged by an Emmanuel Macron driven economic international agenda, there is an increasing internationalism trend in the gourmet food and online sector.

France has recently become one of the largest wine importing countries in the world by volume. In 2017 it imported 7.6 Mhl of wine (+ 12% versus 2014, excluding must), of which 81% in bulk, for a total value of € 812 million in value (+ 31% verses 2014). These imports indicate the lack of entry-level wines available to the market, a situation which is compounded by the exceptionally low production of the recent ‘lowest yield on record’ 2017 vintage. Whilst 2018 offered some recovery meeting global demand has proved very difficult to meet, especially for large and medium-sized retailers. "The lack of availability of French entry-level wine is partly responsible for this phenomenon", in order to "satisfy the demand for GIS wines, both on its own market, but also on its export markets."(Ministerial Note 2016).

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This has boosted demand for international wines and given them the opportunity to start opening up one of the most closed and conservative markets in the world.

Here are 10 importers of wine that you can consider for your brands.

Agriberia

It has been established since 1999 specializing in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian food and drink products.

It is located in the center of France, ideally placed to become a key player in the distribution of ethnic products in supermarkets. They employ up to 200 people, distributed across their administrative offices and 11,000 m² of warehouses. They have 5 sales offices throughout France.

They distribute to the major supermarkets in France and their focus is on service and quality.

Barrère & Capdevielle

As the official importer for France of prestigious Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Argentinean and Lebanese domains and brands. They distribute across France and in order to keep these wines in pristine condition they distribute from their air-conditioned cellars in Villenave d’Ornon near Bordeaux. They also produce two wines from their château in Saint-Emilion Grand Cru working with a well-renowned winemaking team.

Above all Barrère & Capdevielle claim a human team. They report a passionate, experienced, recognized and structured entirely for the service of its customers.

Headed by the founders Florent Barrère and Jean Capdevielle, he is the President of Barrère et Capdevielle.

BEAUTIFUL BRANDS

Beautiful Brands is an importer and distributor of premium drinks brands, health drinks, specialty beers, champagne, fine wines, prestigious spirits: gin, vodkas.

They research and select noble and unique products from all over the world to focus on specific targets: luxury hotels, large restaurants, delicatessens, selective outlets, premium takeaway, gas stations, FMCG distribution for example supermarkets.

Their sales and marketing team work closely together to ensure that the products are positioned to create success. Beautiful Brands offers its clients excellent service, value for money and more.

ID VINI

An importer, wholesaler, and distributor of wines and beers based in Bordeaux, specializing in Italian wines. They import, store, distribute and export Italian wines as well as craft beers for B2B trade. They have also recently expanded our range with French wines so that their Café, Hotel & Restaurant (CHR) customers can fulfill the whole menu. The wide selection of grapes and wines are carefully sourced directly from the producers with excellent value for money as standard.

In addition to the 500 references from these unique producers, it is possible to request specific wines that do not appear in the catalog, depending on the quantities ordered. They provide a full logistic service including transportation, storage, and delivery of products, to offer for sale either wholesale or retail.

Their extensive knowledge of the Italian varietals, regions, and producers, provides the customers with excellent advice according to their needs. Based in Cestas, in the Bordeaux region, ID VINI delivers in France and internationally.

La Vinotheque

Established in 1973, La Vinotheque in the heart of Bordeaux is a sanctuary of rare and prestigious wine. Trading online sales Vinothèque de Bordeaux, proposes a wide selection of Bordeaux, French and foreign wines, champagnes and spirits. From "discovery" wines to fine wines, you will be able to find the perfect wine whatever your budget or the occasion of your purchase. La Vinothèque assumes the role of intermediary. Professionally they facilitate the trade between the producers and its customers' distributors. For trade customers, it can also design a product including content and container.

Vin du Monde

Discover a worldwide selection of fine foreign wines from 5 continents: 33 countries, 196 producers represented and nearly 900 references.

Vin du Monde opens its website with an interview with Italian/Australian Biodynamic winemaker Julian Castagna and goes on to present a romantic quote from Charles Baudelaire.

They import a wide range of wines from around the world and have a network of distributors across all territories of France.

Paul Sapin

In 1889, two brothers, Lucien & Paul Sapin, founded the Paul Sapin company to sell Beaujolais wines. The family business, which started out by selling local wines on the French market, was bought by Thierry Coulon in 1996. Deciding to work only B2B, he set about expanding sales internationally, basing his strategy on innovation and choosing to focus on a niche market — small, 18.7-cl, 25-cl and 37.5-cl bottles — while continuing to increase sales of conventionally-sized bottles (75 cl).



Since then, the two-pronged approach has spurred the growth of Paul Sapin, which is obsessed with the quality of its wines and always breaking new ground in the areas of packaging, consumer trends, and customer service.

Paul Sapin is involved with many global partners. The chance to work with them has let them widen their range of products and, at the same time, offer our customers the very essence of each terroir as well as the character and accumulated know-how of talented vintners in:

Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, United States

Cellier des Producteurs

Cellier des Producteurs (CDP) is a family-owned producer and exporter of fine wines based in St. Emilion, Bordeaux. Run by husband and wife team, Phillippe and Catherine Cohen, CDP has been supplying luxury wines from sought-after vintages to connoisseurs and collectors, as well as to award-winning restaurants and hotels around the world, since its establishment in 1987. In 2014, CDP opened its second location in Hong Kong to better serve our growing customer base in the Asia-Pacific.

At CDP, we are just as passionate about sourcing world-class wines from established producers as we are about discovering new wineries and sharing our discoveries with our clients. Each year, we visit numerous estates in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany – many of whom we have long-standing partnerships with – to review the quality of their produce and to sample their new wines. We source our wines directly, allowing us to bring you great wines and rare vintages at competitive prices.

CDP is also the proprietor of a five-acre vineyard, Château Vieux Taillefer, in St. Emilion, which produces a limited supply of Bordeaux Rouge and Blanc every year. As both a producer and distributor of fine wines we have a deep understanding of the wine supply chain – from grape to glass – a unique experience and knowledge we share with our clients and that is reflected in our impressive stock list.

The Cohen family has a long history in fine wines and gastronomy, and through our enduring relationships with Europe’s greatest winemakers, we offer an extensive stock list unlike any other. Over the past three decades, CDP has built an impressive portfolio of fine French wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhone Valley, Loire Valley, and Champagne, as well as the best vintages from many of Europe’s other top estates – all of which are available for immediate collection or delivery to your door. Whether it’s for a special occasion, to kick-start a new collection or to round out an existing one, our professional team is always happy to answer your questions and to guide you in selecting what wines best suit your needs.

Barrière Frères

“Excellence since 1932”

Specialist in Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés market for more than 80 years, Barrière Frères is the commercial arm of Grands Millésimes de France (a joint venture between Suntory and Castel), which includes Château Beychevelle (Saint-Julien) and Château Beaumont (Haut-Médoc).

A sales administration and Logistics staff of 13 people, all highly trained on all the legal and commercial export requirements and/or regulations.

Certified ISO 9001 since 2000, Barrière Frères obtained the “AEO” (Authorised Economic Operator) Certification delivered by the European Customs in 2012, guaranteeing that Barrière Frères is recognized as a secure and safe business partner in the international supply chain.

Barrière Frères is now one of the leaders on the traditional French market. Its know-how,  desire for customer satisfaction and experience since 1932 make Barrière Frères a unique and indispensable partner in the sourcing of the greatest wines of Bordeaux and the world.

Their operation centers on a cellar in the heart of the Médoc. A warehouse of 8500 m2, completely secure, provides optimum storage conditions for the 3 million bottles that it stocks.

A unique quality-control system guaranteeing the storage quality and a state-of-the-art computer system allows stocks to be managed in real-time. It offers traceability from reception of the wines to their dispatch.

Working closely with the owners of the most famous estates of Bordeaux and elsewhere, their portfolio is made up of 200 to 300 brands covering the last 30 vintages.

Sourcing is carried out exclusively in Bordeaux, in direct contact with each winery.

A daily presence in the heart of the Bordeaux vineyards and regular tastings allow us to enhance our offering by regularly including a maximum of new wines to a range of worldwide exclusive brands.

Histoire de Hommes et Terroirs

The website of Thierry Lurton – a famous name in wine and wine trading.

Histoire de Hommes et Terroirs is not only a winemaking business and owners of the well-known Chateau Camensac they are also wine traders, bringing in wines from Hungary, Georgia, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

They humbly ask through their website that as a customer you see them as a source of knowledge as well as their wines and Chateau.

Coals to Newcastle indeed – but it seems that there is increased traffic on the route!