The wine trade isn't a single job. A négociant deciding allocations, a sommelier building a list, and a shop owner choosing what to stock deep all look at the very same vintage — and ask completely different questions of it. So in Foudre's Trade view you pick your seat at the table, and the read is tuned to the decision in front of you. The underlying vintage analysis doesn't change; the emphasis does.
Merchant — allocation and the long game
The merchant (négociant) buys to resell, often en primeur — before the wine is even bottled. The questions that matter are: is this a vintage worth securing scarce top-growth allocation for? Will it reward cellaring and appreciate, or is it for early drinking? How volatile is its likely pricing?
For this seat, Foudre leans into age-worthiness, investment-grade quality, and the market/price signals — the factors that decide whether to commit capital now and how much to allocate.
Restaurant — what pours well, now
A restaurant is building a list that has to work on the floor tonight. The questions shift to: is the vintage approachable and ready to pour, or does it need years it won't get? Is it viable by the glass? Is it consistent enough to commit a list slot to, vintage after vintage?
Here Foudre emphasises drink-now readiness, approachability, and tolerance for vintage variation — the practical "will this please a guest this evening" lens rather than the cellar.
Wine shop — what sells off the shelf
A retailer is stocking for walk-in customers and predictable turnover. The questions are about breadth of appeal and value: will mainstream buyers reach for it? Is it good value at its price? Will it move, or sit?
For this seat, Foudre weights mainstream consumer appeal, value for money, and predictable, drink-now quality over collector ageability.
Same analysis, your lens
Behind all three, the climate, terroir and market evidence — and the quality-and-risk score — are identical. Choosing merchant, restaurant or wine shop reshapes the executive summary and the recommendations toward your decision, and surfaces the result cards that matter to your role. Switch the tab and the same vintage is re-framed for a different seat at the table.