Heloise Vallin is sharing her joie de vivre through her French wine business. Bringing a little bit of France to Asia.
What’s your story?
ChateauAsia has been setup by a team of passionate and experienced entrepreneurs eager to share their love of French lifestyle and wines.
After establishing the foundations for a brand that resonates with its customers, they felt that it was the right time to bring someone who could become the face of the company and build on top of those foundations.
What is ChateauAsia exactly?
ChateauAsia is a lifestyle brand that focuses on bringing the French “Art de Vivre” culture to Asia. Its team of wine experts and sommeliers carefully select French wines which are exclusive, both in their quality and price. We guarantee a consistent quality by working directly with French wine producers and importers.
Our members can learn about wine during our events that are a direct expression of our ‘joie de vivre.’ You can also discover the wines we have available through our platform, www.chateauasia.com, learn how to pair it with food, learn about its producers and get some tips on serving. Our online education portal complements the lifestyle choices that we aim to bring to the communities in Asia.
What excites you most about your industry?
To share great moments. Wine and French culture are a real passion of mine. Sharing a bottle of wine with friends or new acquaintances is always a fabulous moment and we are pleased to create these opportunities.
What’s your connection to Asia?
We are connected to most of the wine importers in Singapore and to a great company which offers great things to their members and employees. For us it is really important to extend our network and develop the awareness of French wines.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Singapore. It is an amazing city for living and working. It is international; every day you meet new people from all over the world and of course local Singaporeans. In terms of business, there are many opportunities and people want to help you. It is a great place for a start up and the government really encourages entrepreneurs.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
The key is to develop your network and meet people. I really prefer to meet people rather than just sending emails. Every one is quite open minded here, but meeting face to face creates real relationships. The world is small, so it’s better to create partnerships on a win win basis.
Who inspires you?
Entrepreneurs in general. I’m really impressed by their creativity and innovation. They really want to create a better world and provide solutions for all issues. That is pretty amazing. They work hard and they love what they are doing. It is a real pleasure to work with other entrepreneurs and you can learn a lot from them.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
That the US may have the right to call a few of their wines “Champagne.” It is only for a limited number of labels and for historical reasons but I think this is really confusing for the consumers. The US are really good negotiators.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
I would have only picked a job that I really liked and I would have met my colleagues and boss before signing.
How do you unwind?
Sport and sharing a glass of wine with friends. Friends are the best option to think about something else and spend great moments with.
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Relaxation is not my cup of tea. I prefer to travel, to discover new places, new wines and meet people.
Bali is a great option where you can relax in a great hotel, do some hiking, rent a scooter… But for wines not so good!
Everyone in business should read this book:
Drop of God – it is a manga about wine. It is easy to read, fun and on top of that you learn a lot about wine.
Shameless plug for your business:
Find online the wine or Champagne you want and open the bottle with your friends. Chateauasia.com helps you select the bottles you will love and deliver them to your place within few days. All you have to do is enjoy the wine with your friends and family.
How can people connect with you?
Linkedin, [email protected], our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/chateauasia/), Instragram: ChateauAsia
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This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:
Callum Laing invests and buys small businesses in a range of industries around Asia. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is the founder & owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 12 countries. He is a Director of, amongst others, Key Person of Influence. A 40 week training program for business owners and executives.
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