Wine maker David Butterfield is hoping to make a splash on the local market with the opening of Discovery Wines.

?After working in various wineries in France and New Zealand, it is really exciting to come back to my roots with our first offering of wines to Bermuda,? Mr. Butterfield said.

With the assistance of Valerie Crisson, director of operations, Discovery Wines is slowly building up its wine list with a small selection on sale at Miles Market, Lindo?s in Warwick and a small number of restaurants.

?For someone with a keen eye there is room to bring in alternatives to larger producers existing on the local market and there are lot of high quality wines that are not here,? Mr. Butterfield said.

?I think we have an amazing collection of hand crafted wines made with respect. We are looking to introduce wines of good value and offer more choice for wine lovers.?

Mr. Butterfield lives in Burgundy and spends a great deal of time travelling and tasting throughout Burgundy, Champagne, the Cotes du Rhone, Catalonia and Rioja, the regions where the culture and traditions of grape growing and winemaking are strong.

The collection of wines Mr. Butterfield is offering is primarily French, but there are also a few select wines from Italy and Spain but the goal is to present a large variety of nice products.

The wine in the collection is stored in a temperature controlled cellar in Bermuda which is important to retain longevity and quality.

Mr. Butterfield started his own wine making business in Burgundy in 2005 and last November Mr. Butterfield introduced his first wines into the Bermuda market.

Mr. Butterfield first ventured into the wine industry in the late 1990s, and gained hands on experience in the vineyards of Burgundy.

In 2003 he obtained a diploma in viticulture and oenologie (study of wine culture and the growth of vines) from the French Ministry of Agriculture.

While undertaking this course in Beaune, he worked as an apprentice for a number of different wineries, such as Domaine de la Vougeraie and Villa Maria, a well known winery outside of Auckland, New Zealand.

Mr. Butterfield also worked for Alix De Montille, who appeared in the film Mondovino, a documentary on the effects of globalisation on the world?s different wine regions.

?That movie was big inspiration for me and I side with the filmmaker Jonathan Nossiter who talks about the battle of the big corporations and the smaller guys and what is lost in the process.?

Discovery Wines has no retail outlet but purchases can be made by calling Valerie Crisson at 333-9463 or at valeriediscoverywines.fr. or daviddiscoverywines.fr.