THE ROOTS WHERE IT BEGAN
Our owner, François, was born near Chablis, Burgundy, and grew up around the vineyards helping his grandfather to make wine. With a winegrower as a grandfather and farmer as a father, François was raised with values of the land and makes a point to work with winegrowers respectful of this.
Giving into his love for adventure, passion for wine, and curiosity of the US, François decided to make his way to California in 1996 to work in the vineyards after attending business school.
THE LAUNCH
He then landed in New York, where he worked in the
wine and hospitality industry for 7 years, holding positions such as sommelier,
sales representative, assistant restaurant manager, and importer.
In
2003, François headed back to France to pursue a job as an export wine salesman,
travelling regularly to the different wine regions of France to meet
producers.
IT FINALLY MAKE SENSE
Then, in 2007, François decided to transfer
the knowledge acquired from both sides of the Atlantic, and of the market, into
his company 71 Vintage. This double vision provides us with a real understanding
of the French and American wine and spirits’ market.