With the world’s first ethical Gin, Liqueur made from legendary goji berries from the unpolluted mountains of the Himalaya, and the first ever Vodka made from quinoa, there is no stopping the ethical force running through the veins of Grégoire Bertaud. Sick of being served and selling Rum filled with colorant, flavoured Vodka to hide their medicinal harsh taste, and all in all a spirits industry focused on limiting costs and maximising profits, Grégoire decided to found his own importing company to be part of a change in perception and attitude to what we put in our bodies and how it impacts our environment. 

Wine and spirits may not be the first industry people consider when worrying about organic, health and society, but just like any other product, we are too often met by brands and products that are not necessarily best for the people, the community or the environment. 

In comes Noble Spirits. 

A young and innovative premium wine and spirits import company focusing on authenticity, quality and social impact, leading you towards a more ethical alcohol culture.

Please share your background with us - What were you doing before starting your own spirits and wine importing business?

When people ask me this question I always smile as I have nearly always been living around the wine and spirits industry… I grew up in Provence in the south of France surrounded by wine and spirits producers and my father worked in the perfume industry. I’m not sure if you know but perfume and spirits are very close in the way they are made. I have always had a passion for this industry, its history, its relation with the terroir and its implication in the ‘Art de Vivre’. All in all, I have worked in the spirits industry for nearly 15 years, across Europe (UK) and Australia.

Why are Fairtrade spirits important?

Fairtrade is a guarantee to consumers that products have been made in the most ethical way possible. It guarantees better wages to farmers and more authentic products to consumers. Fairtrade, organic, natural and local all have something in common: products that are real, more genuine and better for everyone - farmers, consumers, the community.

We’ve featured two of the Fair Spirits range in our gift selections - Coffee Liqueur and Goji liqueur. These are really unique flavours - can you share some tasting notes on these two products and what do you have them with?

FAIR Café is probably one of my favourites out of the FAIR range. Every time I open a bottle, the scent reminds me of coffee sacks, a strong coffee flavour with a touch of toffee. On the palate it has notes of chocolate and hazelnut.It goes so well in an espresso martini but I would also suggest pouring it on top of vanilla ice cream or as an ingredient in a tiramisu - it’s amazing.I would describe the taste of FAIR Goji as a mix between lychee, pomegranate and cranberry with a hint of floral notes. On the palate I find cherries and plum and you will be surprised to find that it doesn’t contain much sugar.FAIR Goji goes well with sparkling wine. Take a wine glass, fill it with ice, pour 45ml of FAIR Goji, top up with a nice Prosecco, garnish with mint or lime - voila!

You have also just introduced a new range of Rosé wines to the Australian market and we have learnt from you that French Rosé is still the best! Why is it the best and what is so special about this particular vineyard?

The region of Provence is actually the biggest and oldest rosé wine making region in the World. It dates from when the Greeks introduced the wines and vines to the south of France. Following which it was the Romans who settled in Provence (their Provincia Romana = Region of Rome).A Provence rosé is not a blend of white and red wine. Rosé wine is made using predominantly red grapes -  mainly Grenache or Mourvedre. The beautiful pale pink colour comes from the skin of the grapes but unlike red wine makers, Provençal rosé wine producers leave the grapes skin in contact with the juice for only a short period of time. So rosé is a different wine making process and therefore a category in itself.A typical darker blushed rosé wine is totally the opposite and contains nearly seven times more sugar per litre than Provençal rosé.Chateau Les Mesclances is one of the oldest family-owned winemakers in the region. In fact it has been in the same family since the 16th Century. Their wine has received numerous awards for its quality such as the Macon Gold Medal at the Provence wine competition. The vineyard is actually built on top of Roman ruins which shows how old the winery is. You should try their cuvée Romane too which is simply fantastic, crisp and very versatile.

In your story to put focus on the authenticity of an alcoholic drink and how it has a positive impact on the consumer. Why do you think there is an increased demand in Australia for spirits and wine with an authentic story at this moment?

We live in a much smaller world than previous generations. We have access to more information, we travel more and we are therefore much more aware of products and how they are made. Australians are fed up of seeing mass-produced products where nothing and no one is respected. There is clearly a need for more genuine products that would be better for them, their community and the producers.

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest Goods Tube news!