In 2015, he and Adrien Grant Smith Bianchi launched their first collection of wine maps and posters. Ten years on, he looks back at a undeniable success story…
How did you get started?
Without any real ulterior motive, to be honest. Adrien and I studied communications and graphic design together. He’s from the Loire Valley and I’m from Bordeaux. Two beautiful wine regions. So, when we were 19 or 20, it was quite natural for us to take an interest in wine, through wine fairs and visits to estates… I remember a blind tasting organised by my father. I thought it was funny. One thing led to another, we came across wine maps. We thought they looked a bit drab and old-fashioned. But this type of representation spoke to us. Enough so that we had fun imagining our first collection of maps. Their brighter-than-usual colours appealed to the sommeliers and other wine professionals we showed them to… In 2015, La Carte des Vins s’il vous plaît was created around Michelin-style folding cards; then, very quickly, posters, which we distributed ourselves. Until the Marabout team spotted us and commissioned an atlas of the World’s vineyards. Since then, other books have followed and more than 250 maps have been published, on vineyards in France and abroad, but also on grape varieties, the colour of wine, its aromas…
How much do you know about wine?
We read a lot, we go to wine fairs, we visit wineries every month, we spend time with the winemakers… In short, we draw on all these exchanges.
Are these conversations what guide you in your choice of map?
Of course they do. But not only that. In the course of our discussions with wine merchants, oenologists and other wine professionals, new wine maps ideas emerge, either immediately or little by little. Customers we meet at trade fairs, for example, also suggest new creations…
Once you’ve decided on a subject, how do you actually go about creating the wine map in question?
I’m more in charge of the vision and therefore the writing. Adrien, on the other hand, is more concerned with creation. In this field, the outlines of the maps usually exist, even if they are sometimes difficult to find. Then, we bring our own style, a more artistic vision inspired by both the world of old school boards and a more contemporary palette of colours, both in its diversity and its brighter side. A real ping-pong of ideas took place between us. Then, once the product is finished, Charlie Garros, who has been with us for eight years now, manages the distribution side.
What projects are you currently working on?
Maison Albert Bichot in Beaune asked us to produce maps of its vineyards two years ago. They’ll be ready in the spring. We’re also working on a book on the beers of the world, which will be published at Christmas by Marabout… Even though 90% of our business is wine, our curiosity extends far beyond that. We see ourselves more as players in liquid gastronomy, and not just in France. Spain, Portugal, Greece…: many countries have a lot to say about this sector, although they often don’t have the necessary maps. There’s a lot to be done there. We want to be part of it…