A partnership to boost your French wine & spirits sales through education
In today’s market environment, education is a key driver for performance, both at the professional and consumer level. Well-trained teams are better equipped to explain categories, convert purchasing decisions, and support consistent sell-through at retail.
This is the foundation of Business France’s approach to education.
That is why Business France, in partnership with French regions, is launching a complimentary, fully funded French wine and spirits education initiative for 2026, designed specifically to support partners like NABCA members.
The objective is straightforward: to provide France-focused educational content that can be integrated into existing training structures whenever it adds value, without adding complexity or constraints.
A Flexible, Modular Education Resource
Built with flexibility in mind, this initiative is designed as a modular resource, not a fixed curriculum. Programs are developed to align with the regions, categories, and priorities already managed by Control States.
Education formats include:
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Short, high-impact sessions
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Virtual or in-person delivery
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Content tailored to specific categories, regions, or price tiers
This approach allows Control States to deploy education when and where it is most useful, across different markets and teams, while remaining aligned with internal objectives and calendars.
Education Programs Already in Place
Since 2019, Business France has worked with ANIVIN de France to deliver tastings and training programs across U.S. retail chains and distributor networks in support of the Vin de France category. These initiatives have focused on strengthening category understanding and supporting frontline teams managing existing listings.
In a similar vein, since 2023, Business France has also delivered education and training programs for Calvados, helping improve awareness and sell-through for this French spirits category through targeted staff training and tastings.
Targeted Activations to Reinforce Education
Building on this educational foundation, Business France also deploys targeted promotional and in-market activations designed to reinforce the messages delivered through training.
In 2026, this includes programs focused on Vin De France, Provence rosé, and Calvados, developed in partnership with relevant French wine and spirits committees, including CIV Provence. These activations are designed to support education already delivered, strengthen category visibility during key periods, and improve execution at retail.
Beyond these core initiatives, Business France continues to adapt education and activation programs based on the specific needs of Control States, whether the objective is to reinforce an existing category, support a seasonal focus, or address a defined portfolio priority.
👉 Education remains the foundation, with activation serving as a practical extension to support performance.
📩 Contact the team to discuss how education initiatives can align with your current priorities: thomas.guerrier@businessfrance.fr
What we bring: A Practical Sourcing Resource for Control States
For Control States, sourcing is a structured, time-sensitive process. The priority is not only volume and price, but relevance, efficiency, and alignment with existing portfolio strategies.
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Here’s where Business France comes in, acting as a practical partner for NABCA members.
Business France works upstream of the market to help Control States organize, clarify, and prioritize sourcing efforts, whether the objective is to reinforce existing categories, assess targeted opportunities, or better understand evolving consumer trends. Business France’s role is not to push products, but to reduce friction and support informed decision-making.
Structured Sourcing Briefs
Before reviewing specific producers, Business France helps Control States clarify and structure a sourcing need, based on price architecture, consumer profiles, and category objectives. Our teams then pre-screen relevant producers and present a short, qualified selection, ensuring that any evaluation starts with a clear and disciplined framework.
Focused, Purpose-Driven Tastings
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Once a category or objective is clearly defined, Business France organizes focused tastings that allow teams to compare options efficiently within that framework. These tastings are designed to provide context and comparability and can be organized locally to minimize time and operational complexity.
Regional Context and On-Site Exploration
When deeper insight is needed, Business France facilitates curated educational visits to French regions, including vineyard tours, production site, and guided tastings. These programs are designed to provide long-term category understanding and transparency, rather than one-off product sampling.
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Digital Marketplace Access
Business France also offers access to an online Marketplace featuring over 2,800 export-ready French producers, enabling Control State teams to explore profiles and initiate contact independently, as part of their ongoing market research.
Business France supports sourcing as a disciplined, low-friction process that respects the operational realities of Control States.
Contact the team to see how this support can align with your current priorities: thomas.guerrier@businessfrance.fr
Business France: Your Strategic Partner for French Wine & Spirits
In today’s market environment, success isn’t only about adding new products. It is about supporting sell-through, strengthening existing listings, and maximizing the performance of current French assortments.
That’s where Business France comes in.
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Who are we?
With 1,400+ specialists in 53 countries, Business France, the French Embassy Trade Commission, works closely with industry stakeholders to simplify your work and support your objectives. We foster opportunities for French exporters into North American markets, as well as facilitating investments from North American stakeholders in France.
Our Wine and Spirit Team
Our dedicated wine and spirit team in North America is based in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, and Montreal. While partnering with the U.S. 3 Tier System, and control States, we are also working closely with Canadian liquor monopolies. Working within similar centralized models allows Business France to understand and support Control State priorities effectively.
Our teams maintain continuous relationships with regional partners in France:
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French wine & spirits regions and appellations
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AOP Wine committees and producer associations
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Export-ready wineries and distilleries
This ecosystem enables Business France to mobilize the right tools at the right time, whether to support established categories like Champagne, Cognac, and Armagnac, or to reinforce momentum in fast-growing segments such as organic, no-low, or modern Vin De France styles.
What we bring
For NABCA members, this means practical, hands-on support focused first on activating and strengthening the French wines and spirits already listed in your portfolio, as well as new sourcing or listing opportunities explored only when they are clearly aligned with your needs and priorities.
There are no fees for our services to you, commercial pressure, or financial commitment.
While representing French producers in North America, Business France positions itself as a neutral and operational partner, supporting Control States on category performance, consumer engagement, education, and long-term value creation.
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Trusted by industry leaders
In 2025 alone, Business France supported 450 French producers through targeted trade initiatives, including the French Pavilion at Vinexpo America with 65 exhibitors, followed by curated tastings and in-market activations across the United States. Many of these actions were designed to support existing listings and drive sell-through, with partners such as Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, LCBO, SAQ, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, just to name a few.