John lived in just outside Paris from 1958-1962 while his father was stationed in France. He learned to appreciate French food, wine and the way of life at a very young age, and transmitted this love to his kids.
John-Paul moved to France nearly a decade ago to work for a few months as a tour guide. After living in France for only two weeks, he met Julie, who eventually became his wife! Those few months in France quickly turned into a few years, and today Julie and John-Paul still reside in France.
In 2009, John-Paul and Julie hosted dinners at their apartment focusing on French regional cuisine, which eventually led to the creation of their successful Culinary Tours of Paris in 2010.
After conducting hundreds of tastings and tours for several thousand clients, we decided to pool together our knowledge to create F & R Wine Imports, LLC., to provide some of France’s best organic and natural wine to an ever growing market in the United States.
We visit several natural wine fairs per year all over France, whether in Languedoc, Beaujolais, Provence, or in Paris. We spend time getting to know all of our winemakers, visiting them at their homes and seeing how they work in the vines. They have all become our friends over the years and we are very pleased to be able to share the wines of our friends with you!
Julie opening wine in Jura
John-Paul harvesting Gamay in Beaujolais
John tasting wine in Burgundy
St. Louis
Reeds American Table
Straub's- Webster Groves
Parker's Table at Oakland and Yale
Farmhaus
The Wine and Cheese Place- Clayton
More Locations Coming Very Soon!
Starrs
Vicia
Brasserie by Niche
Local Harvest Grocery
The Wine and Cheese Place- Rock Hill
Bar Les Frères
Extra Virgin, an Olive Ovation
The Wine Merchant, Ltd.
Sardella
33 Wine Bar
Cork & Rind
Robust Wine Bar
Union Loafers
The Wine and Cheese Place- Creve Coeur
Olive + Oak
The Crossing
Maypop Coffee and Garden Shop
Civil Life Brewing Company
Winslow's Home
What makes our wines special?
-The French producers with whom we are working are some of the more sought-after organic and natural wine producers in France itself.
-These producers are all small, environmentally conscious winemakers, many of whom have had little exposure in the United States.
-All are at the very least practicing organic, if not biodynamic and/or natural, winemaking techniques.
-Minimal intervention in the winemaking process- no pesticides, no additives, no enzymes, no chaptalisation, only indigenous yeasts, minimal amounts of sulphur used, if any at all…