Negociant

A negociant is in France a professional who buys grapes or wine in bulk from winegrowers, vinifies or ages it in their own cellars, then markets it under their brand. Large Champagne houses operate mainly on this model (Moet et Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Bollinger, Roederer). In Burgundy and Bordeaux, several houses combine negociant and proprietary domaine activity (Bouchard, Drouhin, Faiveley, Latour). The negociant ensures the stylistic coherence of the house across several vintages and several origins. Negociant wines feature widely in three star wine lists (Source: INAO, 2026).