Vidal-Fleury Reintroduces Its Historic Wines to the U.S. Market with a Stop in St. Petersburg
When a nearly 250-year-old French winery sends its winemaker to St. Pete, it’s worth paying attention. Recently, Antoine Dupré, General Manager and Head Winemaker of Vidal-Fleury, visited Savoir on Central for a private trade tasting with local sommeliers, shop owners, and bar managers. The event offered a rare opportunity to experience the Rhône Valley’s oldest continuously operating winery through the perspective of the person now shaping its future.
Dupré’s stop in St. Petersburg was part of a U.S. tour that also included Miami and New York. Originally planned as a two-city visit, St. Pete was added after Sarah Windsor, Area Manager for Terlato Wine Group, advocated for the city to be included, a reflection of how Florida’s west coast is gaining attention from national distributors and importers.
A Winemaker Redefining a Classic
When Antoine Dupré joined Vidal-Fleury in 2020, his task was clear: honor nearly 250 years of tradition while guiding the winery into a new era. “My role is to juggle history, tradition and modernity,” he said. “It’s about learning from the past while creating wines that today’s consumers appreciate.”
Since then, he’s reshaped the cellar’s approach, harvesting earlier to preserve freshness, refining oak programs with smaller barrels and gentler toasts, and rebalancing blends to highlight fruit and texture. The Côtes du Rhône Blanc, once 100% Viognier, now includes Grenache Blanc and Clairette for nuance, while Crozes-Hermitage has shifted primarily to stainless steel aging.
He’s also renewed grower partnerships and subtly refreshed the label, keeping the historic crest but improving paper and color for visibility. The estate’s vineyards and partner growers are certified HVE3, France’s highest sustainability level, supported by solar projects, lighter bottles, and soil-preserving cover crops.
Reintroducing Vidal-Fleury to America
Vidal-Fleury’s roots reach deep into the Rhône, founded in 1781 with ties to the Guigal family that date back to 1924, but its newest chapter focuses firmly on the present. When Dupré joined the winery, one of his first priorities was rebuilding and strengthening Vidal-Fleury’s presence in the U.S.
He first met Bill Terlato, CEO of Terlato Wine Group, in 2021. After blind tastings of the new vintages, the partnership took shape, and by 2025, Terlato became Vidal-Fleury’s exclusive U.S. importer. The initial lineup—Côtes du Rhône Rouge and Blanc, Crozes-Hermitage, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape—offers American buyers familiar Rhône benchmarks, each crafted with Dupré’s focus on freshness and clarity.
“The last few decades were challenging for us here,” Dupré said, “but now we share many values with the Terlato family—another family-run company dedicated to quality. Together we’re rebuilding the brand step by step.”
Rhône Roots, Local Reach
For St. Pete, the visit reflected a shift already happening in the market. More distributors are beginning to treat the city as a serious stop, and local programs are widening beyond the usual regions.
“I was pleasantly surprised by St. Pete’s vibrant tourism scene and the quality of its bars and restaurants,” Dupré said. “It’s a small but cosmopolitan city; lively and full of energy. You can really feel a commitment to thoughtful food and wine pairings. I’ll be very happy to return.”
Now in Tampa Bay
Vidal-Fleury’s Rhône lineup is starting to arrive in the local market following Dupré’s visit. The Côtes du Rhône Blanc and Châteauneuf-du-Pape are now available at Savoir on Central, the Blanc is on the list at The Black Pearl in Dunedin, and Bascom’s Chophouse has added the Côtes du Rhône Rouge.
Final Sip
Vidal-Fleury’s arrival adds depth to St. Pete’s wine landscape and reinforces what the city’s been building—authentic, quality-driven programs that are getting noticed beyond Florida.
