I joined Boutinot at the start of March, and I have loved every minute of it. So, I thought what better way to recap on the first month and a half than to write my first blog, telling you all about the things I’ve learnt so far…

1. It’s true what they say… it’s not just a slogan, or a nice tag line… Boutinot is very much a people business, not just a wine business.

My first day at Boutinot was at the Manchester “Indies” (we’ll get to that later) Spring Tasting event. I arrived, not knowing anyone, and a little nervous about what to expect.

Visiting Bodegas Ontañón in Rioja

I walked into the venue and was immediately confronted by a large mass of people, who I now know were wine producers and staff, all helping set up the venue. I had only just taken in the crowd when someone walked up to me and said “you’re Abi, right?! I’m also Abby, we’re in the same team… I stalked you before you arrived, so I know what you look like – don’t worry, I’m not weird. You’re a lot taller than I thought! Come over here, we’re filming a video for Instagram!” And with that first friendly encounter, I knew straight away that I was in safe hands.

I spent the day meeting various members of the team, meeting different producers, and speaking to customers (after I helped blow up balloons for the Instagram video, of course), all of whom had the same thing to say: Boutinot is a great company, you’ll love working here, everyone is fantastic. And they weren’t wrong!

I ended up for the majority of the day, tasting wines with Deborah Brooks, Head of Marketing, who has just celebrated 37 years working at Boutinot. A legend of the business, I feel very lucky to have spent that time with her, listening to everything she had to say about wine, the producers we work with, the business and how its grown over the years, and certain customers, many of whom knew Deb personally, and had done for years given her longevity at Boutinot.

I listened, drank wine, soaked up as much of it as I could (the information that is, not just the wine), and at the end of the day, I was invited for pizza and beer with the whole team. Looking back on it now, it was a pretty surreal first day, but one thing stood out for sure: Boutinot, in theory, is a wine business, but really, it’s a people business. 

2. There really is a thing called ‘the Boutinot way’ – and no, before you ask, it’s not the name of a long-distance walking path or national trail route!

Ahh, the Boutinot way. Although it reminded me of the West Highland Way, bringing back vivid memories of walking across the Scottish Highlands on my Gold Duke of Edinburgh, it is definitely not the same thing. This particular phrase meant nothing to me at first; everyone kept mentioning ‘the Boutinot way’, as if I knew what they were talking about!

It’s an interesting term, and I think it means something slightly different to each person who works here. But, essentially, it’s the way in which things are done at Boutinot. Be it positive, negative, or anywhere in between, it most certainly is a way of life!

3. You get to taste A LOT of wine – what a perk! (If you’re a wine lover like me, that is)

A Tasting with Pré Baron!

The perfect job doesn’t exi…

Oh how wrong I was! I remember in my interview that Deb and Christina, my team leader, briefly mentioned that my job would entail tasting wine every now and again to make sure tasting notes were accurate for new vintages. By ‘now and again’, I thought this would be once a month, maybe once every few months, I definitely didn’t think it would be every other week!

Now, before you think, very much like my family did when I told them, that this may not be the best use of my time, it’s actually been a great way for me to learn about the portfolio and various wines that we stock. It’s developed my tasting abilities and allowed me to meet frequently with our product managers to catch up, and learn as much from them as possible while tasting delicious wines. What’s not to love?!

4. Perhaps a lesson learnt is one that my parents tried to enforce over twenty years ago: that I should have paid more attention in French at school! But it’s never too late…

I get it, applying for a French product marketing role is kinda in the name… but I was assured that this wouldn’t be a huge issue. And it’s not! However, it definitely would have helped had I paid more attention in my French classes at school. 

Nevertheless, I’ve decided to take this as a learning opportunity, and will begin French lessons soon! Boutinot was founded on the relationships made between Paul Boutinot and French wine producers back in the 80s, and given our French portfolio plays such a huge part of the business, it feels only right that I pay both the business and our producers the respect deserved and learn French! After all, it’s never too late to learn something new.

5. Sustainability is significant to the team at Boutinot!

Did you know that reducing the weight of wine bottles goes a long way towards reducing our carbon footprint? Well, now you do!

Sustainability plays a pivotal role at Boutinot, from our offices and facilities in the UK, to packaging, to production, Boutinot are proud to commit to a sustainability strategy driven by responsibility and opportunity. The vision is simple: be a responsible, forward-thinking business that creates value by minimising environmental impact and enabling sustainable growth. Just one more reason to love Boutinot. (P.S. You can find out more from Boutinot’s Impact Report here: Boutinot Impact Report 2025 – Boutinot)

6. The difference between Indies, on-Trade, and National Accounts (spoiler alert: it’s not just a music reference, or terms to describe finance and the economy!).

Wines of Greece Event

Now, I understand that this is common knowledge for those in the wine industry, but having come from a legal background, I had no idea what these terms referred to. Like I said earlier, my first day was at the “Indies” tasting event, which I now know, of course, means ‘Independents’, who are Boutinot’s most loved and devoted customers!

The on-Trade refers to venues where wine is sold for immediate consumption: bars, pubs, restaurants, the lot! While our national account customers are those that work on a national level, so predominantly for this industry, supermarkets!

While these terms may be simple and familiar to the majority of readers, I think it speaks volumes about the work that is done at Boutinot. Being able to work with such a variety of customers, and treat each one with the same respect, and give the time and effort required to maintain longstanding relations is testament to the team at Boutinot, and I feel lucky to be part of it.

With all that being said, it’s fair to say I’ve had a fantastic first 6 weeks here, and I’m very excited to see how and where my journey at Boutinot ends up!