Maison Gabriel Meffre’s international presence

On average, 75% of production is exported

“Certain years, this figure can rise to 80%!” tells us Anthony, Public Relations Director, who regularly travels around the world to present Maison Gabriel Meffre’s wines.
Moving into export markets has paid off for the company, which employed less than 50 people when Anthony arrived in 2000. Today, more than 120 people work at the company, including a 10 person team in charge of export sales.

Exporting to 37 countries around the world

Maison Gabriel Meffre has a presence on several continents, including Northern Europe, North America and Asia.

“We have a very good working relationship with the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark. They have been loyal and reliable partners for many years.”

Gabriel Meffre’s wine distributors are often long-standing partners that have faith in our company.

In Asia and Oceania, business is going from strength to strength, particularly in New Zealand, Australia and China. As for Japan, it is a partner that has had a very stable and sophisticated market for a long time.

Among these countries, China stands out: “In recent years, skills and knowledge in the area of wine have grown phenomenally in China.” Anthony remembers the very basic training he gave there only a few years ago: “The situation has changed a lot since and the general public is becoming far more knowledgeable. We are seeing dazzling progress among distributors who want to understand the products they are selling.

Wild Pig and Fat Bastard: ranges dedicated to export markets

While consumers in France tend to prefer more traditional brands, expectations are different in export markets. This is why we offer more offbeat brands such as: Wild Pig and Fat bastard. The same work goes into them as all our other wines, with a constant focus on quality. Their undisputed success in countries such as the Netherlands, the United States and Canada, for more than 20 years, is proof of this. “These markets offer far more potential for original and marketed wine brands!” explains Anthony.

Maison Gabriel Meffre’s reputation for reliability

Seen as a very reliable organisation by distributors, due to our experience, we have excellent knowledge of administrative procedures, laws, regulations governing labels, etc., which offers our export partners the guarantee of smooth business. Our other main strength is that we have a very good image as a merchant and producer, with very consistent wines.

Our wines have also earned an excellent reputation thanks to the trade press in other countries. References such as Wine Spectator and Robert Parker regularly give superb ratings for our wines (95/100 Domaine de Longue Toque – 94/100 Condrieu Laurus, etc.)

Ambitions for the coming years

“We aim to develop our markets in the United States. There is still much work left to do, as there is huge competition from wines from all over the world” explains Anthony. “All distributors are familiar with wines from the Rhône Valley: it is a guarantee of quality, which gives us a head start for market expansion there“.
Maison Gabriel Meffre is also beginning to explore the South American market, with initial sales in Brazil.

Lastly, our existing markets also require attention. It is essential when exporting to find reliable and consistent partners, in order to establish a quality relationship. “Maison Gabriel Meffre’s values are reflected in its choice of partner distributors. We generally look for partners that include us in their considerations” concludes Anthony

Above all, our Winery wants to move forward with solid foundations and trust, in order to ensure a long future with our international partners. We look forward to sharing our know-how, our wines and our history in other parts of the world !