Mathieu Wehrung, owner, Soif d’Ailleurs (‘Thirst Elsewhere’), in Rue Pastourelle, hit upon a novel idea when he decided to sell everything but French wine in his boutique two years ago and his decision has now paid off gaining recognition in Pudlo Paris (A Best of… guide) as Caviste de l’Annee (Cellar of the Year).
Serra Gaucha, Brazil
Another reason to celebrate, its flagship wine, Brazilian Miolo ‘Curvee Tradition’ 2014, (€12), made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in Serra Gaucha, Brazil, has sold its 10,000th bottle and there will be an event to celebrate at the Brazilian Embassy in Paris on October 27.
Wehrung told BeverageDaily, Soif d’Ailleurs is a wine tasting room and bottle shop that specializes in wine from around the world but non-French.
It has labels from 45 countries, 500 references and 200 varieties in the shop.
“What we sell most is a Brazilian sparkling wine which is quite extraordinary. It’s a simple product, which is very well done.
"It has a smooth, aromatic flavor and above all it is not too expensive. It flies off the shelf. We have already sold 500 bottles this month.
“Miolo didn’t expect to sell as many as we have here so we are going to have an event to celebrate.
“The customer who bought the 10,000th bottle was Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), at an investor event here at the wine shop.”
Anderson Tirloni, export manager, Miolo Wine Group, said it was delighted to have surpassed the 10,000th bottle sold.
Tough market
“The French market is very difficult for any wine brand around the world, since France is not just a producing country but one of the pioneers when it comes to wine. Also, one of the best in quality. When it comes to sparkling wines, it is the land of Champagne,” he added.
“For Brazilian wines, it is not just a very difficult market, it is almost impossible to be successful.”
Tirloni said Miolo exports its products to more than 30 countries. The main market is the UK, followed by the US and China.
Miolo opened its fifth store in China this month in Guangzhou. The third biggest city in the country. It started exporting to China in 2011, and has two stores in Shanghai (The Bund and Pudong district) and two in Hainan Province (Sanya and Haikou).
“Our next step is to focus on new smaller markets or ones that we never invested in before because of their size, such as Bulgaria, Malta and Estonia. We are also looking to partner with importers in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway,” added Tirloni.
