For this edition of Tiny Tastings, we chat with Françoise Mathis from Flint Wine, one of our favourites in the wine trade and a true fine wine specialist.
We explore what great wine really means, the regions she’s excited about, and why emotion sits at the heart of every great bottle.
When asked what defines great wine, Françoise doesn’t talk about price, prestige or points. For her, great wine is about emotion. It’s about having a genuine connection to what’s in the glass. A wine should move you, surprise you and stay with you long after the bottle is finished. In a world where fine wine can often feel technical or exclusive, Françoise brings it back to something much more human: how it makes you feel.
Interestingly, her cellar isn’t filled with trophy bottles or headline-grabbing labels. Instead, she gravitates towards lesser-known, indigenous grape varieties such as Albillo and Nascetta. These are wines she prefers to drink with age, often after five to ten years, when they begin to show more complexity and character. They may not break the bank, but they offer something far more interesting... a deeper understanding of how wines evolve.
When it comes to up-and-coming wine regions, Françoise is drawn to wines with what she calls altitude, attitude and precision. She highlights Valle d’Aosta in northern Italy, one of the smallest and highest wine regions in the country, where altitude plays a key role in producing fresh, vibrant wines. Greece is another standout, along with Ribeira Sacra in Spain, where steep vineyards and cooler conditions create wines with purity, freshness and energy.
Her favourite wine regions tend to sit slightly off the beaten path. Rather than focusing on the most famous appellations, she prefers exploring lesser-known areas like Savennières in the Loire Valley. Known for its structured, age-worthy Chenin Blanc, it’s a region that delivers complexity and character without the spotlight of more commercial names.
One of her most memorable wine experiences came recently at a tasting with a producer from Napa Valley. Rather than simply showcasing new releases, the wines were presented alongside older Napa Cabernets dating back to the 1960s. The tasting told a story of evolution, from earlier, more powerful styles to the fresher, more balanced wines being produced today. For Françoise, it was a powerful reminder that wine is constantly evolving, shaped by both tradition and change.
So how do we make great wine more accessible? For Françoise, the answer lies in education. Understanding the true cost behind a bottle — from vineyard work to production — helps people appreciate its value. While great wine may sometimes require a higher spend, she believes the experience it delivers is worth it. Knowledge, she suggests, is what unlocks that appreciation.
For her bottle shout-out, Françoise points to Domaine Ganevat, one of the most exciting and respected producers working today, known for wines that combine precision, energy and a strong sense of place.
At Tiny Wine, this idea of connection, discovery and understanding sits at the core of everything we do. As Françoise highlights, great wine isn’t just about what’s in the bottle — it’s about how it makes you feel, what you learn from it, and the journey it takes you on.
Stay tuned for more Tiny Tastings as Tiny Wine continues to explore what great wine really means with some of the most exciting voices in the industry.