Stories of visionaries who push the boundaries to change industries, especially in wine, are special to me. Since the end of Prohibition, government and state regulations, business policies and middlemen have resulted in a labyrinth of bureaucracy and red tape. Winemaker Cameron Hughes knew there had to be a better way for consumers to buy good wines at an affordable price. That’s why he pioneered the négociant wine model selling premium wines direct-to-consumer.
Cameron first started this model with his own label, Cameron Hughes Wine, and then with his new project, OG de Négoce. In 2005, Hughes founded Cameron Hughes Wine with the goal of making great wine more affordable. He started by buying excess wine from other wineries, and then he would bottle and sell it under his own label. His goal was to make great wines accessible to everyone.
As the pioneer of the négociant wine trade, de Négoce Founder Cameron Hughes has 20+ years of experience sourcing and, until Cameron came along, few in the US had ever heard the term négociant (the French for a wine trader).
Founded in 2022, the De Négoce collection is a selection of Hughes’s favorite wines, all of which are sourced from small, family-owned wineries. The OG collection includes a wide variety of wines, from Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc as well as red blends, white blends, and sparkling wines. But they are sold at a fraction of the price of comparable wines from icon and boutique wine brands. And today they are the top direct-to-consumer wine brand despite only operating for one year.
They have two ways to order wine. Either by signing up for the Wine Futures List and pre-ordering wines before they are bottled or to order directly from the bottle shop.
I had a chance to try three reds from the OG collection:
Lot 339 | de Négoce 2021 Syrah Da Uve Leggermente Appassite Terre Siciliane– this was my favorite. I tasted cherries, cassis, olive tapenade, tobacco, and herbs. It was smooth and elegant.
Lot 356 | de Négoce 2021 Barossa Valley Shiraz – it was a very opulent wine. I tasted plum, black pepper, blackberry preserves, chocolate truffle, leather, and cherries. And it’s always fun to try these varietals side-by-side.
Lot 230 | de Négoce 2019 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon – this blend of 79% Cabernet, 15% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot has notes of black cherry, cocoa, currant, and earth. It’s a nice expression of the Red Mountain terroir.
Considering all these wines are under $20, I applaud Cameron for finding, sourcing, and offering great wines and making them accessible to all of us.
