The Winter of 2009 marks 15 years for TERROIRS, and we thought we'd take the opportunity to share a bit of our story with you, our great clientèle.
TERROIRS, privately owned by Seán and Françoise Gilley, is much more than a wine shop - boutique would seem a better name. TERROIRS grew out of the passion of wine.
When we opened in November 1994, our goal was to make available, not only to the clients of TERROIRS, but to all wine lovers, whether connoisseurs or novices, our experience, our knowledge, our discoveries and our choices.
Françoise Traineau was born in the Loire Valley - the jardin de la France - whose natural beauty and fine wines have enthralled countless Irish holidaymakers. After taking a degree in international business in Fontainebleau, she moved to California to spend several years as Public Relations assistant to winemaker Bernard Portet at the premium Napa Valley winery of Clos du Val. She returned to Dublin in 1994.
Seán Gilley is a man who believes that you must know more than the name of a wine to judge its quality - you must know the personality of its producer. The only way to achieve this is to go forth and meet them and that is exactly what he has done - traveling to the wine regions of the world meeting the producers, studying their vineyards and tasting their wines. The result - added to his graduate membership at the London's famous Wine Trust where he gained a diploma with distinction - is an unrivalled network of personal contacts. Seán has now been in the retail wine business for over 20 years.
"Seán is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic of the trade's younger generation. His keen knowledge is fired with passion."T.P. Whelehan
TERROIRS opened its door to the public after extensive renovations and substantial investment. Seán and Françoise called up award winning Dublin architect, Des Mc Mahon of Gilroy Mc Mahon to help develop this project. His love for wine and his enthusiastic professionalism were essential to make TERROIRS a very intimate shopping outlet. Mc Mahon united classicism and sobriety. The shop is tasteful and unique in layout and concept.
Through all the changes and all the growth, our business is still built on three simple principles: Service, Service, and Service.
At TERROIRS, be rest assured that we'll continue to look forward the future.
Definition of Terroir:
"The very French notion of terroir looks at all the natural conditions which influence the biology of the vinestock and thus the composition of the grape itself. The terroir is the coming together of the climate, the soil and the landscape. It is the combination of an infinite number of factors: temperature by night and day, rainfall distribution, hours of sunlight, slope and drainage, to name but a few. All these factors react with each other to form, in each part of the vineyard, what French winegrowers call a terroir."Bruno Prats, proprietor of Chateau Cos d'Estournel in Mèdoc.
What the Press says:
Tongues were set wagging when Terroirs opened for business some 15 years ago. The Celtic Tiger had not yet really got going, and here was a boutique shop offering an amazing array of the very finest (and most expensive) wines.
Françoise first arrived in Ireland in 1991. Trailing around various off-licences, conducting tastings of her brother-in-law's Muscadet, she bumped into Seán Gilley, then working for Verlings off-licence in Clontarf. A cross-channel romance ensued, a romance that was severely tested when Françoise moved to the Napa Valley for two years. Seán reckons he flew over to visit 11 times during those two years, so obviously he was hooked.
Françoise finally moved to Ireland in 1993, and Terroirs opened the following November. "We wanted to move away from a full off-licence and create a boutique shop selling only the very best," Seán says. "We have kept that focus since then, and never given in to the temptation to serve coffee and sandwiches to keep cash-flow going."
Most of the wines are sourced directly, 70 per cent of them from France. "We have a very close relationship with every supplier we work with, he says. "Our customers know there is a person behind every product, and that is the reason for our success."
There is a very tempting selection of wine here, particularly from the Loire Valley, Françoise's home territory. It is more than a wine shop though. There is a selection of excellent artisan charcuterie, chocolates and other gourmet products, as well as glassware.
Seán is confident that they will ride out the current economic gloom. "It is a hard graft at the moment. We have increased our range of less expensive wines, particularly in the €10-€22 range. We have also developed new customers. Our e-mail launches have been very successful. It is all about keeping your name out there at all times."John Wilson, Wine Writer, The Irish Times
"Seán and Françoise Gilley are a young couple with a lifetime's experience of wines. Jointly they have created Terroirs, a source and wine delight... And just as there is no equivalent word in the English language for 'Terroirs', there is no equivalent shop in the whole of Ireland."Checkout Magazine, Ireland
"It only takes a two-minute stroll around Terroirs to realise the ruthlessly simple psychology which underlines everything they sell. For it is not just the undoubted excellence of everything which they source and stock which makes Terroirs special. No, what makes it a place of sanguine indulgence is the fact that everything represents a treat. Not just the fabulous wines, of course, though they have many, many select and special bottles for sale, chosen with discrimination and intelligence which is no more than one would expect of a couple whose passion for wine is boundless. No, what sets Terroirs apart is the terrific quality of foods they sell, items which are more than a sideline to their main business of selling wine."John McKenna, The Bridgestones Guide
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'Terroirs is not just one of the city's best wine shops, it is one of the city's best shops.'
The Bridgestone Food Lover's Guide
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