Producer Profiles: Philippe Germain
This week we are shining a spotlight on a producer who is a dear friend to York Wines, Monsieur Philippe Germain. Philippe has been providing us with delicious French wine for decades now, producing primarily Chenin Blanc whites from his Château de la Roulerie vineyard, and also supplying us with Bordeaux blends from Château Landereau. As we will be welcoming Philippe back to the shop this May, we invited him to join us in a pre-trip chat about his business and his experience in winemaking.
How did you get into the wine industry?
I started economic studies and after few years, I decided to join my family in the Bordeaux vineyard, starting in the winery and after that in the trade.
When did you start working with York Wines?
I started working with York Wines with Stuart Vass 25 years ago.
Can you tell us a bit about your selection of wines?
My selection of wines focuses on the Organic Chenin Blanc dry, off dry and sweet, and my aim is to optimise the style of Chenin Blanc.
What are your favourite (or least favourite!) parts of the winemaking process?
From my side, I am really interested in the winemaking where I am 100% in control of the process, and where we are able to innovate every year.
What makes your vineyard unique?
Château de la Roulerie is unique because we are on a specific soil called 'schiste soil' and all the vineyard is on TERRASSES.
How has climate change impacted your vineyard/ wines?
It is sure that the climate has changed a lot because in the past in my region, we used to do just some sweet wine and now with the global warming we are able to do some fantastic dry white wine, and we are producing less volume too.
Have you noticed any changes in consumer trends over the years?
Yes, there are a lot of changes where we have seen less wine consumption and now the new generation wants easy drinking wine with low alcohol.
If someone were to taste your wines for the first time, which one would you recommend to them?
I will recommend two wines; le P’tit Chenin for someone used to drinking wine in general, and P’tit Layon for the new generation.
Do you have any new ventures or plans for the future of your business?
The idea is to reduce the capacity of the vineyard in order to focus on the quality of the wine, and then also focus on the potential of the property itself.
Merci Philippe!
We currently stock several of Philippe's wines, including:
La Roulerie- Coteaux du Layon, 2022 - £17.95
La Roulerie- Rose d'Anjou, 2024 - £12.95
Château Landereau, Bordeaux Superieur, 2017 - £18.05
Château Landereau, Bordeaux Superieur, 2018 - £16.15
To access his latest additions to our collection, visit us in store!
