The Chef’s Cellar is a wine business with slightly unusual origins. Rather than starting life as a traditional wine merchant, it grew out of a chef’s frustration with how difficult it could be to find interesting, well-priced wines in the French Alps.

Based in the Vallée d’Aulps, the business now supplies private customers, chefs, restaurants, bars and chalet companies across Morzine, Les Gets, Saint Jean d’Aulps and the surrounding area, with national delivery available throughout France.

Founder Joe Robertson came from a professional cooking background, Bela Robertson was a food obsessed blogger in London, and that experience continues to influence the way The Chef’s Cellar approaches wine. The emphasis is less on wine as a complicated subject and more on its role around the table: finding bottles that work with food, suit the occasion and offer something interesting to drink.

The cellar focuses particularly on independent French producers and smaller domaines, alongside a broader selection from across France and further afield. The range is deliberately eclectic, from classic appellations to lesser-known regions and producers that might not have the marketing budgets of the big names but have plenty to say through their wines.

For Joe and Bela, that sense of discovery is a large part of the appeal.

“We’re not looking for wines you find at the huge international salons; we’re nipping to Burgundy at the weekend to catch a small foire with a dozen local winemakers present.”

The business also reflects the changing way people spend time in the mountains. Visitors increasingly want the convenience of having quality food and drink waiting for them when they arrive at their chalet, while residents and hospitality businesses need reliable access to good products without necessarily wanting to buy large quantities.

Local delivery is therefore central to the business. Customers in Morzine, Les Gets, and Saint Jean d’Aulps can order wines for delivery directly to their homes or accommodation, whether it is a few bottles for dinner or a larger selection for a group staying in a chalet.

The professional side of the business is growing too. The Chef’s Cellar works with local restaurants, bars, chefs and chalet companies, with local stock allowing smaller and more frequent deliveries, even same-day in season, than might traditionally be possible through larger wine wholesalers.

Food remains the common thread throughout it all.

Rather than approaching wine through a list of rules, The Chef’s Cellar tends to start with the question of what people are actually eating. Raclette, grilled fish, a slow-cooked Alpine stew or an après-ski sharing board all present very different opportunities for a wine pairing.

Ultimately, the philosophy is fairly simple: wine should be approachable, enjoyable and shared.

For a business operating in one of France’s great food and wine regions, The Chef’s Cellar is trying to bring a little more of that culture into the mountains — one bottle at a time.

W: The Chef’s Cellar