About Pépite
Pépite /pepit/ is a French word that has a double meaning : it literally stands for for gold nugget but in the wine jargon, it also describes a wine gem, a unique find, that someone is eager to share. That spirit of discovery and sharing is guiding us throughout the process of selection and distribution.
Established during the challenging year of 2020 in California, Pépite is a wine importer and distributor whose mission is to reveal new or under the radar vigneron.ne.s from the old world and the new. Our wine selection process is based on sincerity, identity and quality. What does that mean?
"Wine should have the face of its place and vintage, and the guts of the person who made it."
Jacques Puisais, famous French oenologist and tastemaker.
Sincerity: a wine should be transparent to its terroir (place, soil, climate) and vintage. This translates into wine made the most naturally, with a careful farming process (either organic, biodynamic or regenerative) and low interventionist approach in the cellar (native yeast fermentation, minimal use of sulfur, no chemical inputs).
Identity: within the context of climate change, the farming practices are more important than ever. Thus, the grower must make sensible choices to get the best fruit possible. In the cellar, the different vinification choices are also decisive in the style of the wine. These choices in the vineyard and in the cellar define the intention and identity of the winemaker, its guts.
Quality: the above principles should translate into a precise, balanced and vibrant wine, that in the end conveys emotion to the drinker.
In 2022, we are proud to represent and collaborate with about twenty different labels from France, Germany and the US west coast. All the imports are new to the California market and the domestic labels are up and coming. All of them share a passion for sincere and distinctive wine, hailing from classic appellations or under the radar regions, made with international or rare varieties, and lots of love. You may read more about their stories here.
Pépite acts as a true link between the winemakers and the best places to drink them, either it is a Michelin restaurant, a trendy wine bar, a small farm-to-table neighborhood restaurant or a select wine shop. We are here to tell the story of our winemakers and serve our customers in the best way possible. You may find our current list of stockists here.