Meet with Clément Fanara, the new generation of Saint Emilion winemakers
A few months ago, we met Clément in Hong Kong.
We loved his wine and wanted to come back to him with a few questions.
How was life as an expat, and why did you choose to move back to France?
First of all, I would like to thank you Marc for this opportunity. I spent almost 10 years as an « expat », in different countries. It has been such an amazing experience. I could work in several countries, different environments, meet so many people and different cultures. I learnt a lot, very quickly, gaining hard and soft skills, working in a changing and evolving environment, understanding how to work and how to move in and with other cultures. So, it has been very enriching and fulfilling.
In 2014, my first son, Matteo is born. We were working in Mexico City with my wife. It triggered in us some existential questions and life matters. “Where do we want to live with him? Where and how do we want to raise him? In what sort of environment? What kind of home do we want to build for him? Nearby the whole family?…”
So, we decided to come back to Saint Emilion and to build a common family project. Indeed, in 2015, we take the decision to move back to France and to look for a wine estate in Saint Emilion with my wife and my dad. Taking over a wine estate is a beautiful project and a very long-term enterprise. It will involve several generations!
What is the identity of your chateau; what makes it special?
In 2016, we took over the wine estate with my dad and my wife. The Clos des Abbesses is a winery located in Saint Sulpice de Faleyrens, a few kilometers from Saint Emilion. Being Wine enthusiasts and epicureans at heart, we wanted a meaning full project for all the family and for our children. We modernized the entire estate, restructured the vineyard plots, and the operational facilities (winemaking cellars, ageing cellar, storage and the tasting room…).
Indeed, we aimed to enhance the winemaking and ageing processes or our wines to showcase the essence of our terroir where we annually produce 70 000 bottles.
By choosing to take on the wonderful profession of winemaking, we knew we had to work alongside Mother-nature: understanding her cycles, thinking long-term, respecting the environment in vineyard management, and adapting our methods to climate change.
We also chose to work as a family. Every decision, project, or even bottle reflects our passion for wine. Quality, Innovation, constant self-assessment, and respect for nature are integral to the DNA of our family and our estate.
Where are your wines currently available, and which markets do you wish to develop?
So far, 90 % of our wines are sold in France (direct sales, Restaurants, Wine shops, Wine bars, expo, shows and fairies…).
We have just begun to develop our export sales in the past 3 years. We reached 10 % of our sales in the following markets: Germany, Italy, USA, Canada, Australia and Singapore. Since some months, we presented our wines and our wine estate in HK, and different countries in Asia. We received very positive feedbacks. In October, for instance, we organized with CFI a wine paring in the restaurant Nizza La Bella. In that occasion, we met importers and distributors. We are confident that we will be soon distributed in HK.
*** Thanks Clément and see you again soon! ***
