OUR WINE STORY
Welcome F&B has been distributing wines for Bayle Carreau in Asia since 2016. We are part of the Welcome Group who has been operating in commodity trading in Asia since 1971 and the wine business represents our first steps into the growing consumer markets here. As a family-owned business ourselves, we identify with the values of our principals and share the philosophy of bringing value for money, quality FRENCH wines to customers in Asia.
The right bank of Bordeaux offers some of the most approachable wines that are value for money.
The Blaye appellation – known amongst the locals – has long been a favourite staple of the French market as many family-owned wineries operating have not actively sought to export and therefore not gained the kind of reputation enjoyed by their left bank cousins.
The Carreau family, whom we work closely with is one of them. Here’s their story
Antoine Carreau bought Chateau Barbe in 1852 and the family have been making wine since. The name Bayle Carreau comes from a marriage between Claude Carreau and Jeanne-Marie Bayle. The Bayle family started their wine business with the purchase of Chateau La Carrelle in 1910.
The family have grown their business acquiring several Chateaus through the years and now produces close to a million bottles per year from several Chateaus and production units in Blaye and Cotes Du Bourg.
Today Xavier Carreau, representing the 5th generation runs the business together with his nephew Cyhril (an oenologist), his daughter Charlotte and his son-in-law Aurelien (both biologists). In the tradition of their ancestors, the family continues to live in the Chateaux focusing on preserving their heritage of winemaking, while Olga Biba, the export director, develops markets in USA, Canada, Russia, Scandinavia.
Xavier Carreau himself handles sales in the fiercely competitive domestic market through their shops in Normandy.
Our fortuitous meeting in 2015 with Xavier Carreu and Olga led to us taking the first steps in developing the markets in Asia – in particular China and Vietnam where we have our marketing and sales activities together with Bayle Carreau since this time.
