Francaboutwine is an importer and distributor of the some of the world’s most exciting wines. We have offices in Sydney & Melbourne with a sales team on the ground in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland + distribution partners in Western Australia and South Australia.

Our sales team has a blend of backgrounds & experience from on-premise roles in hospitality, wine education and distribution.

Founded by Neil Thomson in 2012 in Sydney in partnership with long standing friend & colleague Ben Grieve. Neil started his career working in the restaurant business in the United Kingdom, where he first found his passion for wine. He later worked in Dubai as a wine importer, before relocating to Australia.

One of our points of difference at Francaboutwine is the perspective we have on the wines we sell and how they fit into a global context. We offer our customers both Domestic and Imported wines so it’s essential we understand not just our wines but their peers and the regions they represent.

OUR STORY

Introduction to Franc About Wine

Passion with perspective

Our customers

 

Neil understands the true nature of building and maintaining relationships in order to achieve the growth he wants for his company. This means as customers we become a part of his journey. It’s a shared loyalty that is built on mutual respect and wanting to see one another succeed. He’s generous and loyal by nature, has an eye for detail and an acute sense for quality but can always offer value to his clients.

Rebecca Lines
Co-owner and Sommelier, Banksii

Neil and his team at Francaboutwine are friendly, engaging, open, honest and extremely passionate about wine, their portfolio and their wineries. The portfolio is of an extremely high quality, focussed on smaller producers with none of ‘the usual suspects’. They strive for deep understanding of their suppliers in order to best represent them. It is easy to get fooled by a big or fancy portfolio – ultimately you need to be with people who understand your wines and who are well regarded in the industry. Our Australian sales are the highest they ever been, we’re placed across the top profile restaurants and retailers in the country, and our profile has increased from poorly known to well recognised.

Paul Pujol
Winemaker, Prophet’s Rock, Central Otago, NZ

Working with Francaboutwine is a delight. Neil’s approach has always been one of professionalism, punctuality and genuine care. His ‘over and above’ approach to the brands he represents greatly benefits the guest experience in the restaurant. The portfolio has a great balance of local and imported options to suit a range of restaurants and that is why I look to Francaboutwine when developing my wine lists.

Seamus Brandt
Sommelier, Bennelong