ASDW - The Association of Small Direct Wine Merchants
Chix & Buck |
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We are an importer of exclusive wine. Our aim is to bring high quality wines to the UK from undiscovered vineyards in Europe. In the spirit of discovery, our ambition is to surprise and delight the wine lover with unknown wines whilst offering great value. The wines we bring to the UK are exclusive to Chix & Buck. We are passionate about finding small producers, often with a family history of viniculture going back centuries, and bringing that wine, with its authentic qualities and characteristics, to the UK. About Us Established in 2009 by Chix & Dan, Chix & Buck is an importer of exclusive wines. Our aim is to bring high quality wines to the UK from undiscovered vineyards in Europe. In the spirit of discovery, our ambition is to surprise and delight the wine lover with unknown wines whilst offering great value. Chix Chandaria I am passionate about food and drink, and have an absolute belief in quality, authenticity and value. I hold the advanced certificate from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and I am currently studying for my wine diploma. My introduction to alcohol came early in my life, when at the age of seven I was given babycham (I don't think my Indian parents realised they were giving me alcohol!). I'm pleased to say that as my taste developed, I moved on to wine and became fascinated by the differences in flavour, its complexity, the impact of the environment in which you're drinking in and the state of your palate, the marriage of food with wine, the ethics of wine production, indeed, everything to do with wine. The father of a very good friend of mine is a connoisseur with a most fascinating wine cellar. Spending time with them became a subliminal learning process and I began to take the subject more seriously, signing myself up onto various courses and making trips to France, visiting different wine producing areas, getting to know the terroirs and how they contribute to the specific personality of a wine. On one such trip, my friend introduced me to Mas d'Intras, a small, centuries-old, family-run estate in the Ardeche. I experienced at first hand the passion and dedication with which this lovely family ran their business, producing delicious wines, but finding it difficult to expand and export, due to the regulatory and commercial difficulties faced by such producers in France. In my conversations with the three cousins, who run the vineyard, I discovered that they were keen to export to the British market. I was excited by their wine, and knew that it tasted just as good in my friend's Islington house as it did out on the fields in Alba. I was at that stage in my life, when I was ready to slow down my career as a dancer, choreographer and artistic director, and was considering my options. One thing led to another, and I struck an exclusive export deal with the family. Inspired by the reaction to the wine back home, and aware that there were small producers all over France producing good vin de pays wines, I have decided to make it my mission to work with small producers and make available wine in Britain that we would otherwise never get the chance to experience. I also hope that in some small way, it will help these wonderful, dedicated producers to survive and carry on the tradition of wine-making that has been handed down to them through generations. Dan Roebuck When Chix approached me with the possibility of starting a business with her, I had just completed a successful 15-year career at an environmental consultancy company, having graduated as a mining engineer. I was the managing director and had seen the company grow, to employ 100 staff and have a turnover of £6million per annum. I felt the time had come to pursue my lifetime ambition of building and running my own business. I had begun to consider various business opportunities, including partnership with a small wine importer in Spain. Chix's approach was timely. We sat around the kitchen table, discussing various options and it wasn't long before I realised that importing wines from small, unknown vineyards - I like to think of them as hidden gems - had very exciting potential. I felt that Chix's knowledge of wine and her interpersonal skills could combine very well with my experience of running a business, and Chix and Buck was formed Contact Us Email:
Chix@chixandbuck.com or
Dan@chixandbuck.com |
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