There is absolutely no denying the history, quality and appeal of French wines and their impact on winemaking around the world.

But exploring the different regions, varieties and nuances to France and its many regions can be daunting and also difficult. For instance while many New World countries highlight grape variety and region on their wines and bottles, it is less obvious on French wine.

As a retailer it can be difficult to understand and explain the different regions and communicate this to customers who, particularly in the pandemic-era, want to be certain about every purchasing decision they make.

The image of French still wines in Australia is usually that of complicated appellations, strict winemaking rules and old ‘chateaux’ on the labels. This image may well mean potential purchasers are put off and miss out on enjoying a delightful French wine.

So what can retailers do to have confidence in both stocking the right French wines, and also that the consumer is going to understand what the wine is and therefore have the confidence to make a purchase?

The simple answer comes from Barton & Guestier. B&G was founded in 1725 by Thomas Barton and Daniel Guestier and then built its reputation by providing excellent French wine all over the world.

B&G were the first wine merchant to offer wines from all the great French regions under one label. That has been one of the key fundamentals to the success of B&G, it’s their wine and their label that retailers, and consumers, know, understand and trust. B&G was as well the very first French wines to be sold in Australia, in 1837.

Today B&G has kept this very rich heritage, as Guillaume Bladocha, B&G’s Export Director for Asia Pacific, explains: “The B&G range focuses on the great wine qualities of each regions and brings those to Australia along with the stunning red letter on white background packaging that is very eye catching.

“That branding with the red B&G letters is a key tool for consumers. Once they recognise the B&G logo they will know this means the wine is going to be of excellent quality.”

The Barton & Guestier range represents the wonderful diversity of French wines from the main winegrowing regions: Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Rhône Valley, Languedoc, Gascony and Corsica.

With its wide variety of wines, B&G enables wine lovers – from the occasional wine drinker to the connoisseur – to make a journey through France.

Bladocha says: “What this extensive and high quality range means is that you can tailor your selection of French wines to your consumer and in packaging that is easy to understand, and importantly with wines people will love.

“For instance I would suggest the top picks for Australia would be Provence Rosé. Then you would look at Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot and Chardonnay from our varietal range, and then a delightful Loire Valley Sancerre or a Beaujolais with stunning, juicy Gamay.

“We want to give every wine lover in the world, the opportunity to experience the great wines of France and to learn more about them.”

The B&G Reserve Range enables retailers and consumers to explore France with confidence and begin to understand the taste and each region and its varietals.

And as Bladocha explains B&G wants to be sure it shares the experience and knowledge it has gained over the past 295 years, as well as its love of French wine.

“At Barton & Guestier, from vine to wine, from vinification to tasting, with our expertise and commitment, we aim for perfection. Additionally, it’s important to us to convey our know-how, both through time, from one generation to the next, and through space, from one country to another and from one culture to another.”

To find out more about the unique offerings from B&G, and how you can tailor a French wine offering that will engage your customers, contact Adeline Zimmermann, Sales Manager Australia & New Zealand for Barton & Guestier or head to the Barton & Guestier website and explore the delights of French wine.

Andy Young

Andy joined Intermedia as Editor of The Shout in 2015, writing news on a daily basis and also writing features for National Liquor News. Now Managing Editor of both The Shout and Bars and Clubs.