David Lyons wine imports
Swapping cleats for corks was never the original plan, but for former Wallaby David Lyons, the allure of French wine proved to be the perfect career change
The Rugby World Cup is set to grace the pitches of France this month for the first time since 2007. And while the world might be a very different place to what it was all those years ago, one constant that has remained is the country’s love of great wine – one echoed by our own.
Former Wallaby David Lyons is one of myriad Australians to have visited France and fallen in love with their wine culture. After playing domestically with the Waratahs, the Orange-born No.8 found himself competing with and against the stars of European rugby with Stade Français in Paris. And it was on the pitches of the 16th arrondissement that Lyons’s admiration for grape juice grew.
“I developed an appreciation for wine,” Lyons shares of the experience, “particularly what an important part it plays in society [in France] and in the rugby culture.”
In 2016 Lyons and his wife Justine founded French Vine, an Australian importing and distribution business with a hand-selected portfolio of Gallic winemakers, ranging from more modern to the well-established family operations. With a core selection of seven winemakers, and one whisky, Lyons has kept his portfolio tight and considered, from Domaine Gayda in the foothills of the Pyrenees (pictured) to Bordeaux, in the form of Gonet-Médeville, and the historic wines of Domaine d’Astros in the scenic hills between Marseille and Nice.
“The key ingredients are using French tradition and French passion, but still have a bit of that young flair in what they’re doing at the same time. A lot of them are really minimal-intervention focused,” Lyons says of his selection process. “Leclerc Briant Champagne is an absolute star and they’re one of the pioneers of organic and then biodynamic Champagne,” he says of the producer whose history in Champagne dates back more than 140 years, and who have been producing taut but characterful Champagne under organic principles since the 1950s.
With the connection between athletes and an adverse drinking culture proving to be the undoing of many players across different codes, Lyons praises the balanced attitude of his teammates in the French capital. “Everyone over there really appreciates wine. Rugby in France is pretty closely linked to the wine regions in the country. A lot of the main rugby areas, particularly down south, happen to be the biggest wine areas … You go to Bordeaux and the after-match functions are amazing with some of the local wines.”
Heading to the wine regions to play was always popular with Lyons’s French team. “There are times where you’d go to someone’s château and half of us, the forward pack, would be down in the wine cellar trying all different types of wines. And we’d always end up in a mini scrumming session or something deep in the wine cellar.” But the connection, however rambunctious, between rugby and fine wine is not unique to France. Lyons says that wherever there is good rugby, great wine isn’t far away.
“I was lucky enough to travel the whole world and see how closely wine is linked to rugby in a lot of ways. You’ve got South Africa, a lot of their good wine growing regions are where a lot of the rugby players come from. The same goes for Argentina. It’s really closely linked.”
For any budding oenophile also making the pilgrimage to follow the gold jersey in France, Lyons says the key is to “just get out and visit”. You could do as he does, and head to Paul Aegerter of Aegerter in the Burgundy village of Nuits-Saint-Georges, scene of many fond drinking experiences for Lyons deep within the cool cellars. Or better yet, visit some of the many wine bars and restaurants he has unearthed over many visits. “In Bordeaux, a great wine bar in town is Aux 4 coins du vin,” and he also highly recommends the wineshop of Leclerc Briant in Champagne.
For the Wallabies heading over to France to stake their claim as one of the world’s top teams again, win or lose, they will be surrounded by some of the world’s best wines. And who knows how many might pick up a second interest while over there? Regardless of the outcome, to take a leaf from Napoleon, “In victory you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it.”
