Wine Paths is a dedicated team of travel enthusiasts and professionals with a shared passion for wine, spirits and gourmet experiences.
Contact our team here
OUR SHAREHOLDERS
STEPHANE TILLEMENT, President & Founder
A serial tourism entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the luxury travel industry. He is the owner of Mauriac Voyages, one of the five best luxury travel agencies in France with a strong customer base in the French wine industry. Stéphane is also the founder and shareholder of the Wine Tour in France network. Contact Stéphane.
MICHEL ROLLAND, International Winemaker
A world-renowned international winemaker with over forty years of experience. He has worked with more than 250 wine estates around the globe in countries like France, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Argentina, Chile and the US. Michel was born in the mythic wine region of Pomerol in France, and he currently owns several wine-making properties around the world. On Wine Paths, you can find his selection of preferred wineries.
CHRISTOPHE POUPINEL, Board Member & Digital Marketing Advisor
Born in Reims, raised in a Champagne-making family, Christophe is a long-time wine enthusiast. He has created and led various digital companies, including Ooreka.fr, one of the top 50 websites in France with more than 10 million unique visitors per month. Member of ISAI (a French Tech Entrepreneurs’ investment fund that finances high potential digital companies), Christophe dedicates part of his time to investing in start-ups to help them break through and accelerate their growth.
OUR MASTER OF WINE AMBASSADOR
FIONA MORRISON, Master of Wine
Fiona has spent over 30 years in the wine business on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, she commutes between Belgium, where she runs the Thienpont family wine business, and Bordeaux, where she helps her husband, Jacques Thienpont run their two estates, Le Pin in Pomerol and L’If in Saint Emilion. In 1994, she celebrated becoming a Master of Wine with a trip to South Africa and since then, when not busy with the wine business or her family, she visits wine producers around the world and writes about wine.
OUR AMBASSADORS
JEAN PIERRE GIRAUD, Global Brand Ambassador
Former Commercial Director and Deputy General Manager of Chêne & Cie, Jean Pierre has 40+ years of experience in the wine & spirits business. Throughout his career, he has visited on a yearly basis most of the wine-making countries in the world, which has to lead him to develop excellent relationships with some of the best winemakers on the planet. Today, he is a Member of the Collège Culinaire de France and in the past, he has been a Member of the Grand Jury Européen.
ALAIN HOMBREUX, Brand Ambassador Argentina & Uruguay
A former country manager of BNP PARIBAS, he has lived in Argentina since 1984, where he converted to wine-growing and participated in the development of the Fabre-Montmayou bodega, one of the country's precursors of age-worthy wine. Alain has also contributed to the promotion of Argentinian wine in the UK with Global Wines Solution SA. Today, he produces quality grapes in collaboration with top bodegas making high-level wines by better adapting each variety to the best possible terroir.
DR. MICHEL JI, Brand Ambassador China
With 25+ years of experience in the business world and a true passion for wine, Dr. Ji is Wine Paths’ Brand Ambassador in China. Since 2012 he has been a Chevalier at the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, an exclusive Order founded in 1934 to promote Burgundy and its wines around the world. Dr. Ji is also a Chevalier of the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne. He is fluent in English, French and Chinese.
VICTOR ULRICH, Brand Ambassador South East Asia
Victor is the current RIEDEL Vice President Asia Pacific, as such, he regularly hosts Riedel Glass Tastings around Asia, seminar-style classes that teach consumers about the indisputable effect that glass size and shape have on wine. Born and raised in Alsace and educated in Bordeaux, Victor developed his passion and knowledge for wine while working at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux and at Wine Tour in France.
PAUL WAGNER, Brand Ambassador USA
Paul is president emeritus of Balzac Communications & Marketing and an instructor at Napa Valley College. Inducted into the Spadarini della Castellania di Soave (2005), honored with the Life Dedicated to Wine Award at the Feria Nacional del Vino in Spain (2009) and the American Wine Society’s Annual Award of Merit (2018). His book "Wine Marketing & Sales, Strategies for a Saturated Market" won the Gourmand International Award (2008) for the best wine book of the year for professionals.
OLYMPIA ROMBA, Brand Ambassador Italy
Olympia Romba is the Sales and Marketing Director of the prestigious winery TENUTA DEGLI DEI in Tuscany. She started her wine-career at the negociant house Mähler Besse (co-owner of Chateaux Palmer) in Bordeaux as Export Manager where she worked for more than 10 years before moving to Tuscany in Italy in 2010 where she is working with Tommaso Cavalli, the son of the fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, promoting his prestigious “Super Tuscan wines" all over the world.
AMRITA SINGH, Brand Ambassador India
In 2020, Amrita launched a studio concept blending wine, travel, fashion & art. Her company is based in Bordeaux, France with operations in India. After having significantly contributed to the evolution of women’s fashion in India clubbed with experience in launching and establishing global Luxury, Designer, Lifestyle and Beauty brands for 17 YEARS, she decided to pursue her passion for Wine and Travel. She moved to Bordeaux in 2018 for Wine Education. Completed MSc Wine and Spirits Management from Kedge Business School, Bordeaux, France in 2020 with WSET Level 3 Award in Wines (In Merit). Currently, she is also enrolled as a candidate for WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines.
OUR TEAM
Caroline Paucquet, VP Sales & Marketing
Before joining Wine Paths, Caroline has a 20 years experience as product manager in the tourism industry, working for some renowned French Tour Operators in Paris specialized in high-end travels. Now living in Bordeaux, she is very enthusiastic to be part of the team and to bring to Wine Paths’ clients her skills and knowledges and also to share with them her passion for memorable holiday and unforgettable experiences.
For any inquiries, you can contact her at [email protected]
Véronique Amsellem, VP Communications & Travel
Having just settled in Bordeaux, Véronique is a tourism and communications specialist, highlighting her work with the California Office of Tourism. She held positions as Key Account Manager and Account Executive, where she developed marketing strategies, partnerships and organized events. Previously, she worked in the creation and promotion of thematic trips, as well as in the management of tourism projects.
For any inquiries, you can contact her at veronique@winepaths.com
SEBASTIEN SAILLOL, Chief Financial Officer
Originating from the Dordogne region, Sebastien is our Chief Financial Officer. He has a BTS in accounting. He started as an accountant in a cinema and then became an assistant manager in another cinema. Following this, he became Financial Manager in a visual production company before joining Wine Paths as a Chief Financial Officer.
MADELEINE MARCHAND, VIP Travel Advisor
A 15-year career in consulting and public relations in the Wine and Spirits industry prior to her 20 years of experience in managing a French DMC specialized in personalized high-end travel and praised by major operators all over the world. Madeleine is an enthusiastic globetrotter, continuously on the lookout for the latest trends, placing her unlimited network of privileged contacts at guests' disposal in order to push limits often considered insurmountable. Contact Madeleine
OUR CONSULTANTS
WENDY NARBY, VP Spirits Partnerships
As a leading Bordeaux wine educator, guide and writer Wendy has been sharing her passion for the region at home and abroad for over 25 years. Her background in food and wine marketing and her expertise in wine tourism has taken her around the world of wine, giving her an international address book she is happy to open for her clients.
TONGTONG ZHANG, VP Chinese Market
Born and raised in China, Tongtong graduated from Bordeaux University of Oenology in 2010 and became a Bordeaux wine educator soon after. Her 12 years of diverse experience in wine tourism makes her a highly reliable partner. Used to collaborating with Chinese clients and always keen to make them discover the Bordeaux region, Tongtong is our Chinese-speaking expert.
OUR PR AGENCIES
BALZAC COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING, USA PR Agency
Balzac is the largest marketing communications firm in the wine industry. Over the past 25 years, it has earned a reputation for working with top-quality clients, providing cost-effective solutions, and developing long-term relationships with key influencers across the spectrum. This, and the credibility and effectiveness upon which they are based, make Balzac particularly well suited to manage a campaign aimed at these target audiences.
BEE BORDEAUX, European PR Agency
BEE was born from the ambition to share passion, expertise and knowledge of the Bordeaux wine scene to promote this culture and this unique art of living, which the whole world envies. BEE applies their professional expertise and their personal passion to elevate our profile with custom-designed campaigns to display our unique concepts and ideas in their best light through luxury, bespoke wine experiences.
CAP AMAZON, Brazilian PR Agency
Cap Amazon is an ambitious Boutique Agency based in Brazil. Their goal is to contribute to our success story in Brazil, providing us with the tools to understand and penetrate the market. They manage events, travel trade (workshops, etc.), press relations, social media and more, to develop our brand's concept and ideas. Their values, trust, professionalism, integrity and proactivity, along with their network in Brazil are the key to our success.
MEIBURG WINE MEDIA, Asia PR Agency
Headed by Master of Wine Debra Meiburg MW, Meiburg Wine Media drives the spread of wine culture in Asia with its diverse media, marketing and educational products and services. Its PR, marketing and events agency arm offers a full suite of creative and effective services to brands from around the world looking to succeed in Asia, featuring a specialized team of professionals with cross-disciplinary skills and local, regional and international experience.
R&R TEAMWORK, UK PR Agency
R&R Teamwork is a small London-based drink and food PR agency that has been promoting wineries and wine regions in the UK for over 20 years. We love visiting the wine regions of the world and currently work with wine clients all around the globe to develop creative campaigns to support their products and services and make sure everyone knows about them!
