KEDGE Alumni has many branches around the world to allow alumni on site to meet, expand their network, exchange on their respective experiences and have a good time.

Today, we invite you to discover the portrait of Tanguy DE BODINAT, a graduate living in Mexico!

To begin, could you tell us about your entrepreneurial journey? What was your educational and professional background to get to this point ?
I grew up in the suburbs of Paris with a fairly happy childhood/adolescence, in a very promising and open European context with lots of exchanges, travel and cultural interactions.

After my baccalaureate in 2005, I entered the University of Assas in Eco Management and I obtained my degree during an exchange year with the UBA (University of Buenos Aires). I loved this experience, which was also marked by a long road trip alone through Brazil; I already knew that I would return to live on this continent and in this Latin culture.

I joined KEDGE in 2009 (at the time of BEM) where I was seduced by the cultural environment and decided to take a gap year to work in the wine industry. After an end-of-study internship in marketing at Rothschild France distribution, where I was offered a fixed-term contract that was not very attractive given my experience and qualifications, I decided to try my luck abroad (summer 2012).

Why Mexico?

I wanted to return to "Latin" America, thinking of Brazil, but at that time, the political and economic context was not favorable. Then, and especially because I had family in Mexico, it was a natural point of entry for me. I found a job as a salesman in the company Interamericana, one of the most important wine importers in Mexico. I was quickly promoted to national sales manager and traveled throughout Mexico developing a portfolio of 200 labels.

Tell us about Climat ! What motivated your choice of business ? and why Climat ?

It was after this experience at Interamericana that I perceived the potential and the lack of offer on qualitative French family estate wines for gastronomy. Thus, I made the decision to start my own company in 2016.

At the beginning and during 5 years I concentrated and specialized only on France. Each year, I organized "wine tours " lasting several weeks to meet the best winemakers of each region, some of whom are well known, but also young talents and future stars of tomorrow.

It all started with the importation of a mixed pallet of 3 labels from the famous Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, whose wines are recognized worldwide, but which was not present in Mexico. It worked out well. 🍷

Today, Climats imports numerous estates from all over France, emblematic of their region of origin and with a strong identity and personality reflecting their terroir.

And since 2020 we import from Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, California and also distribute Mexican estates.

In all cases, our philosophy is the same, qualitative, favoring manual and plot work, long maturation and little use of new wood; delicate wines compatible with gastronomy in general but also with Mexican gastronomy.

Since the beginning, and I hope it will continue, I have visited all the estates and met all the winemakers whose wines make up the Climats portfolio. There is clearly a Climats style and a coherent personality to all the wines we import (which may or may not appeal) but with a guarantee of quality and typicity to which I am attached.

Why Climates? 🍇
This is a term specific to Burgundy and refers to the wine-growing terroir. In Burgundy, a Climat refers to a parcel of vines, progressively and precisely delimited by man, and which has been recognized by its name for centuries. The personality of the Climat is expressed in the wine, vintage after vintage, thanks to the winemaker's know-how. Nowhere else in the world has man sought to link in such a precise and intimate way, a wine production to its place of production.

You will have understood that it is a passionate approach to wine, through the land. We believe that this philosophy of work has inspired the greatest winemakers, whether or not they are Burgundian.

What did your studies at KEDGE bring you?

At KEDGE, I received a quality, concrete and pragmatic education that perfectly complemented my (very theoretical) university education. At Assas I studied the history of economics through great authors and theorems, at KEDGE I acquired a capacity for analysis and an aptitude for solving and proposing solutions in any situation while working in a team. KEDGE was a step, a bridge towards professional life, after the student life, a favourable environment to serenely consider the future.

It is also a powerful and international network. I have built up a close group of friends that I continue to see regularly despite the distance.

Being in Bordeaux it pushed me to enter the world of wine for which I had a certain attraction but no pre-disposition, and from which I never left.

Today, you live in Mexico. What do you like about this country? What is different from France for an entrepreneur ?

Mexico is a country full of charm, with a rich history and a strong cultural identity. Traveling through Mexico is wonderful because of the diversity of its landscapes, its cuisine, its climates and its rich heritage and architecture. It is miles of coastline to travel, mountains at over 5,000 meters, pine forests like in Switzerland, deserts of impressive and thousand-year-old cacti...it is a source of endless pleasure and inspiration! 🌱

The kindness of its inhabitants, their warm welcome and the ease with which they can establish friendships and work relationships are a plus when it comes to integrating and wanting to establish oneself in the country.

Mexico is sometimes mistakenly thought to be a developing country. In fact, it is the 12th country in terms of GDP, and therefore in full development. The opportunities are incredible and multiple for a young entrepreneur.

How did you integrate as an entrepreneur in Mexico?

Well, with pitfalls to avoid!

Everything seems simple when you are still a "tourist", but when you want to formalize your life here, you encounter certain obstacles due to an opaque and difficult administration. One faces administrative problems that can seem insurmountable. Especially in a sector such as the importation of alcohol where you are under the strict and arbitrary control of the SAT, the Mexican tax authorities. It is not always easy to understand how it works and the rules. But in the end, with patience and determination, everything gets sorted out.

What are your future ambitions/projects for your company?

To become a reference in the wine industry in Mexico. To be positioned in the best restaurants and hotels in the country. Sell directly to a community of enthusiasts. 🚀

Finally, after 7 years in business, we are exactly where we want to be. Our ambition is not to become a big company but rather to remain a company specialized in the gastronomic segment and recognized for the quality of its products and services.

Speaking of projects: I have just created a parallel project to Climats but directly related: NIV.

NIV (Vin a l'envers) is a wine bar/restaurant where you can eat well, drink good food and have fun.

Maybe in the future I would like to open a gourmet restaurant where unique and exclusive wines would be the center of the customer experience.

Finally, what message would you like to send to graduates and students who want to do business in Mexico?

When you are 23-25 years old and just out of school, it is the perfect time to try your luck abroad. The experience can only be enriching, whether it is short or long (11 years already in my case). We only regret what we do not undertake, so go for it, follow your instinct and your passions. Be willing to make some concessions on your salary and your hobbies at the beginning; Work pays and it pays off quickly afterwards.

Good luck!