How Gemma turned her French fancy into a real labour of love
Family holidays to the wine region of Languedoc in France have turned into a career for Gemma Crangle.
Gemma has turned her love affair with the Languedoc-Roussillon, one of the world's oldest and most innovative wine growing regions, into a thriving business with the creation of Skipton-based Terroir.
It boasts top celebrity chefs among its high-end client list, including Gordon Ramsay at Claridges and Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons. Yorkshire customers include The Devonshire Arms, No 3 York Place, Leeds and Hotel du Vin, Harrogate.
"By specialising in wines from only one region, we are able to gain an in-depth appreciation of the terroir and the unique combination of producer and place that creates each vintage," explains Gemma.
"It also keeps us on the pulse of what's happening, so that we can find and support the best talent, even in its furthest corners, be it an exciting new producer or a groundbreaking wine and bring it to our customers."
Gemma has never really planned a career in wine.
"At university, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. My family had always been interested in wine and so was I but as more of hobby."
After completing a French and German degree at Edinburgh, Gemma got a job working for Wine and Spirit International magazine.
After taking her first step into the wine industry, Gemma landed a job with London's prestigious Corney & Barrow merchants selling their products into wine bars.
But although Gemma loved her job, she eventually got itchy feet and began wondering where else her passion could take her.
"I got to the stage where there wasn't really anywhere for me to go in my job and I wanted a challenge.
"I love the Languedoc region and I saw that there weren't many people who specialised in it, so I thought it would be nice to start importing wine from that region and changing people's perceptions of it."
While Languedoc wines don't generally figure on the lists at top hotels and restaurants, Gemma knew of the area's vast potential from childhood holidays.
"The growers are so passionate about their wine and their wine making. They don't just want to make money – they want to sell to people who are as enthusiastic as them."
Inspired by this enthusiasm, she set up Terroir Languedoc. For the first time this year Terroir introduces a number of new wines from selected growers in Provence and was fortunate to obtain a foreword for the new wine list from international best-selling author and food
and wine buff Peter Mayle, who penned A Year in Provence and lives in the south of France.
Gemma has also introduced an organic and biodynamic range to her new wine list. Adding to its already well-established range, Terroir's new, hand-picked wine collection has taken around two years to source and introduces more than 15 new growers and 60 new fine wines, including a selection of wines made using biodynamic methods.
"Some of the producers we support go a step beyond organic by using biodynamic methods. These see the vineyard as an ecological whole, not just rows of grapevines."
Terroir also offers organic and biodynamic wines from Domaine Begude run by James and Catherine Kinglake, originally from Leeds, who moved to France and have not looked back since producing their first vintage in 2004.
Gemma's job involves a lot of travel between Skipton, London and France. All this has been made more complicated by the arrival of daughter Josephine last year.
"As well as my husband Ben helping me out on trips to London, my parents also help me out, as does my brother," say Gemma."So it's very much a family affair."
Log on to www.terroirlanguedoc.co.uk.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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