2/14/26 - 

Clockwise from top left: Thierry Puzelat and David Lillie, Thierry Navarre with DL, Nico Carmarans and Eben Lillie

A report from the annual wine fair season.

Once a year, in the end of January and into early February, winemakers from all over Europe (and beyond) attend a series of trade shows, locally referred to as "Salons" or "Salons des Vins." The timing is always the same, as it's a moment in the year when there isn't a ton of work to do in the vines besides winter pruning, and winemakers have wines to show that were bottled in the late Summer of Fall, or new wines from the most recent harvest that are still in tank or barrel. The salons kick off in Montpellier, France, and continue the following week in the Loire Valley. If this wasn't already enough, there is now a rapidly growing scene around Wine Paris one week after that, not to mention several other wine fairs elsewhere in Europe, most notably Barcelona Wine Week in Spain. Historically, the draw to Montpellier was the Millesime Bio trade show (focused specifically on organic certified estates), located at the "Parc Expo" (short for Parc des Expositions, the French version of a Jacob Javits Center or similar large convention center in the US). In the Loire, it was always the Salons des Vins de Loire in Angers.
 
Until the early 2000s, these were the only shows in town, but it wasn't long before alternative, "off-salons" started popping up, usually held just before (or often overlapping with) the larger ones. These off-salons were formed by and for winemakers who were considered crazy (at the time) for fermenting with native (ambient) yeasts, who farmed without the perscribed chemical treatments in the vineyards, and who dared to minimize their use of SO2. They felt like outcasts, out of place at the convention centers, and the off-salons stood for their values. In Montpellier, "Vin des Amis" and "Les Affranchis" were the first. In the Loire, "La Dive Bouteille" started in 2000, followed shortly after by "Les Penitentes" along with the "Salon Madavin" (linked to the Renaissance des Appellations organization started by Nicolas Joly). Wine Paris is a bit more recent, and has been growing exponentially, with an overwhelming 5000 exhibitors reported in 2026. Predictably, with a huge convention of that size, off-salons have popped up all over Paris too!    
 
In the 90s, Joe Dressner and our own David Lillie attended the Salons des Vins de Loire and formed relationships that are still extremely important to our shop and of course the Louis/Dressner portfolio. Folks like Herve Villemade, Thierry Puzelat, and Catherine and Didier from Clos Roche Blanche were all there, and our intrepid duo was looking for estates working like them. At the first Dive Bouteille, Joe and David were two of the only three Americans there (along with Jenny Lefcourt of Jenny & Francois Selections). Now, times have changed and there are multiple off-salons in Montpellier and literally dozens of them in the Loire. The off-salons that were all quite small and relatively unknown at their inception have now become arguably more important than the conventional salons (at least for us), and there are WAY more than 3 Americans in attendance!

David Lillie, Eric and Paul Laguerre, and Eben Lillie at Millesime Bio - Montpellier, France

My first time attending these salons was in 2011, with my father. Now, 15 years later, I can consider myself a regular! The annual two weeks in France is a time to reconnect with old friends both for vets like my father and for the winemakers. They often do not have the chance to travel within Europe during the year, so it may be the only time each year that they see friends from other regions and other countries. They catch up about challenges with weather (or the newest disease or mildew affecting their vines), trade wine, and definitely drink plenty of wine too! After the last 2 years, with stagnant sales for retailers, importers and winemakers, and the struggles with tarifs in the US and a downturn in consumption internationally, it's safe to say we all needed a drink! Though there was concern and uncertainty about the future, there was also a spirit of perseverance. I can say for myself that I think it may be too late for a different career, and even more so for the winemakers, there is no turning back. Many of them truly love and appreciate working outdoors, even with the erratic and increasingly unpredictable weather, and they have dedicated their lives to their craft. So we all had a sigh, a hug, a glass, and a silent agreement to keep trudging.
 
We're back in New York now and it only feels right to double down on our efforts to represent, promote and share the wines we have always stood for - small producers, organic farming, native yeast fermentation, minimal intervention, and maximum soul. With all the crap (and "natural flavors") in the leading non-alcoholic drinks on the market, and the health risks of magic weight-loss pills and injections, maybe we can convince people that a glass of natural wine might not be the worst thing! 
 
So, without further ado, we've assembled a little collection of wines we tasted during our travels: New bottlings from Nicolas Carmarans in the Aveyron, two outstanding 2024 whites from Thierry and Zoé Puzelat at Clos du Tue-Boeuf, honest and acid-driven Roussillon wines from Eric and Paul Laguerre, and much much more!

-Eben Lillie

>>>VIEW THE WINES<<<

Clockwise from Top left: Christian and Thibaut Ducroux, Stéphane Rousset, and Sara Gallina