Martine Saunier, a trailblazer, role model for entrepreneurial women, and much-loved and admired wine industry icon, has passed away. She was 91.
Born in 1934 in Paris, Martine’s connection to wine began in childhood spending summers on her aunt’s farm in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy in France. During that era, many French children were introduced to a little wine mixed with water at lunch or dinner. Martine was no exception. However, her introduction went deeper. Working as a grape picker during those Mâconnais summers, Martine described following a winemaker around the cellar. She was fascinated with all the steps involved, and at one point was asked to put her ear to a barrel to determine if the malolactic conversion was underway.
Over the years, Martine was a frequent and generous host of lunches and dinners with delicious food, fine cheeses, and amazing wines from her extensive cellar. On those occasions, some gentle prodding would have her telling spell-binding stories about growing up in war-torn France. Part of her childhood was spent with her aunt in the comparative abundance of a farm in the Mâconnais that was located in the Free Zone. That contrasted significantly with time spent with her parents, who remained in occupied Paris, where virtually all the necessities of life were subject to rationing. She didn’t recall seeing any cars in Paris at the time, and even bicycles were a precious commodity.
Several memories remained prominent among the many stories. One involved encountering a young, smiling German soldier riding atop his tank while he consumed an enormous slab of coveted Gruyere. That was juxtaposed against the palpable fear of and intimidation by German soldiers examining her papers while traveling by train between occupied France and the Free Zone. Then the widespread jubilation when the Allies liberated Paris in 1944, and sitting on the lap of one of the first American soldiers she encountered, a young GI whose name she always remembered.
As a young woman, Martine’s career followed multiple, interesting paths. In the early 1950’s, she worked as an au pair for a British-American family in London. The job gave her an ample opportunity to improve her English skills, and piqued her interest in the United States.
Afer returning to Paris, she worked for British Airways as well as in the office of the Tunisian Consul General. During that time, Martine responded to an announcement in the press that Japan Airlines, in partnership with Air France, would soon open an office in Paris. A\er turning down several possible job offerings—an early indication of the determination and strength of character that Martine would show throughout her career, she accepted a position as the executive assistant to the top brass in the Paris office. In that role, Martine shepherded senior executives, who christened her Miss Saunier-San, and a group of French and international press on the inaugural flight to Japan. Later, she would laugh, recalling how completely all of them deferred to her, a young French woman still in her 20’s.
In 1964 Martine moved to the U.S. The following year she had the good fortune to encounter André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyard while exploring California wine. He told her--in French and in no uncertain terms--that if she wanted to find excellent Pinot Noir, she needed to return to Burgundy.
Several years later, Martine was offered a job selecting wines for a San Francisco-based wine importer. By 1969, that role was taking her back to France in search of better wines than were available in the U.S. market. She bought a used VW bug and began exploring the Mâconnais, Beaujolais, and Rhône regions in more depth. During a revelatory lunch in Luberon, she was introduced to Château de Fonsalette Blanc, and then directed to Château Rayas. There, she had to wait several hours for Monsieur Louis Reynaud to finish his post-lunch siesta.
Monsieur Reynaud then poured her his 1959 and 1961 Châteauneuf du Papes. Martine described them as “the best wines I’d ever tasted.” She made a commitment for 50 cases of the two wines at t12.50 per bottle—an elevated price at the time. On returning to California, Martine’s employer was horrified, as the retail price typically paid for Châteauneuf du Pape in that era was t2.50 per bottle. Undaunted, and dismayed at her employer’s failure to recognize the quality of the wine, Martine compiled a mailing list of friends, colleagues, and associates, and offered them the wine via newsletter. It sold through rapidly.
For the next five years, Martine continued as a special selection wine buyer for the San Francisco importer, growing increasingly frustrated with the constraints that situation imposed. She quietly applied for import and distribution licenses of her own. Finally, in 1979 Martine’s Wines became official. For the next 33 years, Martine was at the helm of a company that introduced many of France’s finest family estates to the U.S. market, most notably from Burgundy and the Rhône. In addition to Château Rayas, these included such standouts as Henri Jayer, Maison Leroy, Francois Jobard, Domaine Bernard-Bonin, and many more. Eventually, other first rate producers such as Niepoort in Portugal were also added to the pornolio.
In the early years, especially in France, Martine would o\en find herself tested in producers’ cellars. Older vintages would be opened and she would be asked to identify the vintage. Or a set of wines from different Burgundy vineyards would be poured and she would be challenged to place them in the proper order. When asked if this was because she was a woman, or because she was not yet widely known, she replied that it was probably both. However, more often than not, she prevailed in these impromptu challenges, and many of her best domaine relationships were established by word of mouth between producers as her reputation grew.
Martine was also quick to give credit to key players in the U.S. market for helping get Martine’s Wines launched. In particular, San Francisco notables like Jim Nassikas and Cecilia Chang were important in the early days of the company. Nassikas was a managing partner of The Stanford Court Hotel, still an independent property at the time, and considered one of the finest hotels in the U.S. Martine approached Nassikas with a list of wines she had in her first shipment. He placed a t15,000 order for The Stanford Court before the wines had even landed. Anyone who has managed cash flow for an importer knows what a pivotal moment that represented.
In 2012, after 33 years, Martine passed the torch, selling Martine’s Wines to Greg Castells, a native of Provence. She was a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, and was previously on the board of the American Institute of Wine & Food. She was also a Chevalier du Tastevin, and was twice named a recipient of the French government title of Officier du Mérite Agricole.
In yet another remarkable chapter, Martine savored a late career period as a film star and producer. “A Year In Burgundy” was released in 2013. “A Year in Champagne” followed in 2014, and “A Year in Port” completed the trilogy in 2016. These films track several top winemakers in each region over the course of a year and the lifecycle of their respective vineyards.
More than anything else, Martine wished to be remembered for bringing top quality European wines to the U.S. For that, we are all beyond grateful.
In passing, Martine leaves a substantial legacy to Médecins sans Frontères (Doctors Without Borders), an organization she generously supported for many years. She also expressed a wish to endow an educational fund for young women working in the wine industry. This effort will send selected recipients to Burgundy for a week of in-depth education and tasting annually. Work on this project honoring Martine’s legacy is in progress, and will be announced at a later date.
Martine is survived by two stepsons, Jeffrey Cregg and Huey Lewis, and a godson, Charles Limido. A Celebration of Life gathering will take place on Sunday, April 13th, in the Grand Hall of the Ferry Building in San Francisco, time to be announced. Donations in her honor can be made to Médecins sans Frontères (Doctors Without Borders).
