The French Carousel offers Australians a hand-crafted selection of French wines, carefully chosen to reflect the diversity and richness of wine from all the regions of France. Founded by two passionate friends, this project showcases vintages that are often impossible to find elsewhere in Australia, with a resolutely human, accessible and sincere approach. Far from the big houses and intimidating labels, The French Carousel favours wines with character, carrying history and emotion, designed to be shared. We spoke to one of its co-founders, Léandre Koch, a former professional dancer from Lyon who now lives in Sydney, to discover more about this unique and profoundly French venture. Read our interview with him to find out more and for the special discount code for my readers.
Who is behind The French Carousel ?
The French Carousel is a project that I co-founded with Théo, a long-standing friend who is from Besançon. We grew up in different regions of France but with a common passion for good products, wine, culture and the apéritif. It’s from It was around this idea of sharing and discovery that the project was born.
Today, I continue to bring The French Carousel to life on a daily basis. I’m in charge of wine selection, order preparation, communication, customer care, and everything else that makes this venture work. I work with a network of reliable partners in Australia for logistics, distribution and technical operations.
Even though I’m not a direct importer, I’m still very involved in the relationship with the producers. Whenever I return to France, I take the time to visit them, to discover their estates and their new cuvées. And the rest of the year, I stay in regular contact with them by e-mail or telephone. This allows me to understand their work in depth and to convey it here, in Australia, with respect and precision.
The French Carousel is a hand-crafted selection, thought out with sincerity and respect for those who produce the wine and those who drink it.
Where in France are you from?
I’m originally from Lyon, a city where gastronomic culture is part of everyday life. I grew up surrounded by well-plenished tables, bouchons lyonnais, and a tradition of conviviality. A few kilometres from where I live are the Coteaux du Lyonnais, a discreet wine region full of character, where Gamay reigns supreme. It’s a grape variety I hold dear to my heart, for its freshness, sincerity and accessibility.
I also have family roots in Alsace, where several members of my family are winegrowers: René and Michel Koch, as well as Domaine La Kochinelle, in Nothalten. It’s a region I deeply admire for its rigor, its diversity of grape varieties, and the precision of its wines – particularly the Pinots Noirs d’Alsace, which I consider among the freest and most expressive.
Do you have a background in the wine world ?
I don’t have an official diploma in oenology, but I learned about wine on the job, through experience and passion. I’ve worked in several establishments in Lyon: wine cellars, wine bars, bouchons and bistros. I learned to serve, advise, listen to customers’ expectations and recognise the balance of a wine.
This practical training enabled me to develop a real sensitivity to what makes a good wine: beyond the technical notes, it’s often a matter of sensation, context and human connection. Even today, I continue to learn from the producers I work with.
What did you do before founding The French Carousel?
Before founding The French Carousel, I was a professional dancer, specializing in ballet and contemporary dance. I left home at the age of 14 and had the chance to train with Patrick Dupond and Leïla Da Rocha, two figures who played a major role in my artistic development.
Over time, I felt the need to reorientate myself. I longed for a more stable, more concrete way of life, while retaining the exacting standards and attention to detail that dance had instilled in me. It was in a small wine bar in Lyon that I found a new path.
It was there that I discovered wine in a different way. I learned how to talk about it, how to serve it and how to convey it. I discovered the I discovered the richness of the producers’ work, the pleasure of advising a customer, creating a pairing, telling the story of a region through a bottle.
This wine bar was a revelation for me. It was there that my passion for wine was born, and the idea germinated of one day creating a project around this culture that I love so deeply.
Did leaving home for ballet at such a young age change you? Or teach you things that help you in life or in this business?
Yes, absolutely. Leaving home at such a young age to devote myself to ballet had a profound effect on me. It’s an extremely demanding world, where discipline, rigor and consistency are non-negotiable. Very early on, you’re confronted with effort, the gaze of others and constant judgment. You have to learn to take it, to listen, to correct, to get up again… and never give up.
And in the world of ballet, landing a role doesn’t mean you’ve got it all. There’s always a replacement. Even once you’ve been cast, you’re still rehearsing under pressure. If, on the day, you’re not focused, not there mentally, not ready to give it your all, you can be sidelined instantly. There are no second chances.
For the record, it happened to me once. We were in dress rehearsal for a show at the Opéra Comique. I’d been offered a role two months earlier, and had prepared thoroughly. But that day, I was somewhere else. A lot of things were going on in my head. I just went off during the choreography. The choreographer saw it straight away… and I was replaced immediately. My replacement went on stage in my place. It only happened to me once, and I promised myself it would never happen again, either in dance or in anything else I do.
Today, in my work, I keep that vigilance. That ability to stay focused, to not let up when the pressure’s on, to always be there when it counts. And also, the idea that you can’t control everything, but you can always be ready.
Dance has also given me a sensitivity, a sense of detail, a search for harmony that I find again today in wine. My approach has remained the same: to create the right emotion, without cheating, and always with sincerity.
Why did you decide to found The French Carousel?
The French Carousel was born of a personal observation. When I arrived in Australia, I was struck by the way French wine was presented here: often limited to a few well-known appellations, standardised products, sometimes expensive, and rarely accompanied by a clear explanation or a real link with French culture.
But in France, everyday wine, the kind you drink with family and friends, is much more lively, varied and sincere. It tells the story of terroirs, but also of people, traditions and a way of life. And above all, it’s accessible.
With Théo, we wanted to create a project that would enable a curious Australian public to discover this other facet of French wine, the one I know and love, and that I wanted to pass on here. With wines that you want to drink, share and understand. Bottles chosen not to impress, but to create a bond.
The French Carousel was born of this desire to make French wine more approachable, more understandable, more alive, while respecting what it represents culturally.
Why the name The French Carousel?
Théo and I came up with the name at the very beginning of the project, when The French Carousel was just an idea on paper. Back then, we had broader ambitions: we dreamed of offering not only wine, but also cheese and charcuterie. It’s not for now, but maybe one day.
And one evening, while chatting on the banks of the Aisne, we had this image of a carousel: something that turns in a loop, with a slow, reassuring, almost poetic rhythm. That’s what we came up with for our own loop: wine, cheese, charcuterie: artisanal, cultural, living products. Things that we share, that we rediscover at every turn.
For a brief aside, I recently returned to this very spot, on the banks of the Aisne. And exactly on the spot where we had that conversation… today there’s a real carousel. A touching coincidence, which reminded me of how much this name has always meant to us.
What’s the difference between The French Carousel and the other companies that sell French wines in Australia?
I think the real difference is the way the project is built: on a small scale, with a limited but carefully chosen selection, and above all with a desire to remain accessible. I don’t offer a prestigious showcase, nor an endless list of references. I offer what I drink myself, what I understand, what I can communicate.
The wines I select don’t come from the big houses. They are more discreet vintages, sometimes difficult to find here, but well worth discovering. I talk to the producers, I take the time to understand their approach, and I build my offer around this link, even if I’m not the direct importer.
I also strive to offer a more human experience: customers can contact me directly, I answer messages myself and prepare orders myself. There’s no automated customer service. It’s artisanal, in the noblest sense of the word.
How do you make French wine accessible to Australians?
First of all, I think you have to stop talking to people as if they already know everything. French wine has a well-deserved reputation for being a little intimidating. Complex appellations, old French names, coded labels… It’s fascinating when you’re in it, but from the outside, it can seem a little closed.
For me, making French wine accessible means changing the way we talk about it. Being clear. Straightforward. Pedagogical. Without ever being condescending. Explaining where it comes from, why it tastes the way it does, what to drink it with… And above all, telling a story.
That’s exactly what I’m trying to do with The French Carousel: translate the richness of French wine into a language that Australians can relate to. A language of taste, pleasure and sharing. Not a lecture.
And then there’s another aspect: selection. I’m careful to choose wines that speak for themselves. That have something to say. But that remain accessible, not just in terms of price, but also in their style, their approach, their identity.
Recently, for example, I collaborated with a company specialising in glassware, to organize a private tasting. The challenge was quite unique: each wine had to match the idea you have of its grape variety. It’s not that easy with French wines. It often happens that two Chardonnays have radically opposed profiles, depending on the terroir or the winemaker’s work. And yet, we had to succeed in selecting bottles that would speak to Australians, keeping enough reference points so that they wouldn’t be lost… but enough difference to help them discover something new.
That’s what my mission is all about: offering French wines, or wines made by French expatriates, that open the door to another way of drinking. Another way of approaching wine. And even if it’s not always obvious, I find that when the selection is right, people are curious. They want to understand. And they come back.
What regions are represented by The French Carousel?
I offer wines from all regions of France, without exception. I don’t limit myself geographically. What counts for me is that the wine tells something: a story, an identity, an emotion.
If a wine has character, sincerity, and if it can create a bond here in Australia, then it has a place in my selection, whether it comes from Provence, Alsace, the South-West or elsewhere.
And by the way, if any of my readers produce wine or think that a particular vintage deserves to be discovered here, I invite them to write to me. I’m always curious, always open. That’s also how nice surprises happen.
How do you choose the wines you offer? What do you look for in a wine?
Above all, I look for wines that are sincere, well-balanced and pleasant to drink. For me, a good wine is one that can be finished. It has to be easy to digest, coherent and true to its origins. I want it to speak to those who taste it, without needing a complicated vocabulary to appreciate it.
But I’d like to make it clear that I also offer exceptional wines. Rare cuvées, sometimes confidential, which require more time and concentration, and which deserve to be tasted in the best possible conditions.
The aim is to offer a lively, nuanced selection, with wines for every occasion: Tuesday evening aperitif or Saturday dinner.
What is the wine you offer that you’re most proud of – for example, a wine that no one else in Australia offers, or a wine that’s difficult to import?
I’d have to say the wines I offer on winesubscription.com.au These are cuvées that are extremely difficult to find, if not non-existent in Australia. We work with a person in France exclusively for this selection, which changes every month.
We have chosen not to sell these bottles through our online boutique. They are only available by subscription. We want to preserve their rarity, and above all create a real surprise for subscribers.
Last month, for example, we offered red, white and rosé cuvées from Château Les Fontenelles, in the Bergerac appellation. This is an incredible estate, which to my knowledge nobody else offers here. And customer feedback has been exceptional.
You’ve said that you’re not an importer, but that with the wines on winesubscription.com.au, you work with a person in France exclusively for this selection and that you like to offer wines that aren’t really offered here in Australia. How do you buy these wines for resale if you’re not the importer?
Yes, I’m not an importer myself. But I work closely with a person in Australia who is, and who is willing to trust me in a rather special way. He’s a passionate man, who usually works with restaurants, not with retailers like me. He selects very specific vintages, often in limited quantities, which are almost impossible to find in classic bottle shops.
What I really appreciate about this collaboration is that it’s a real exchange. It’s not just a catalog from which I pick and choose. We discuss cuvées, share opinions, and sometimes challenge each other on certain choices. It’s a dialogue, almost a two-way curation process.
As an anecdote, I got his contact details at the Foire aux Vins des Vignerons Indépendants de Lyon in 2023. This detail says a lot about the provenance of the wines I offer. We’re on short circuits, with wines often bought directly from producers or via micro-networks. And that’s what makes the subscription selection really unique here in Australia.
Can you share with us your favourite food and wine pairings?
I love pairings that are accessible, easy to test at home, but really work. Some examples I love:
- an Alsace Pinot Noir with roasted vegetables, smoked meat or lightly spiced poultry;
- a chilled Gamay, served with a terrine, a pâté en croûte, or a fine board of charcuterie;
- a white from the South-West, served with warm goat’s cheese or a salad with dried fruit and honey;
- a Bergerac rosé, served with a tomato tart or summer cuisine with fresh herbs.
I don’t believe in fixed pairings. I believe in common sense, intuition and the pleasure of testing. And it’s often in the surprises that the best pairings are born.
How long have you been in Australia and why did you decide to move here?
I met my wife while studying dance in Bordeaux. We lived together in France, first in Bordeaux, then in Lyon and finally in Soissons, a small town an hour from Paris. But Australia was already part of our history: I’d been here several times over the years. I already knew the country well, and had always had a particular fondness for its culture, its energy, its way of encouraging people to be enterprising.
To be totally honest, we decided to move to Australia to launch The French Carousel. The project officially began in June 2024, with Théo. We set ourselves a clear target: to launch the online store in January 2025. And we pretty much met our deadline! The site opened on February 4, 2025, ready to receive its first orders.
My wife and I moved to Sydney in September 2024, a few months before the official launch, to get everything ready. It was a big gamble, but we went for it with our hearts. And today, I regret nothing.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I co-founded The French Carousel with Théo, at a time when everything had yet to be invented. We laid the foundations of the project together.
Today, I’m continuing the adventure alone, with the same energy, the same convictions, and a clear vision of what I want to build. I’m developing each stage carefully: the wines, the subscription, the upcoming events, the exchanges with customers.
It’s a project I’m shaping over time, with patience, and with a great deal of sincerity. And I know where I want to go. I’m going to get there, because I’m building something that’s me, and I believe deeply in what I’m doing.
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We’d like to thank Léandre Koch of The French Carousel for this interview.
KEY INFO FOR THE FRENCH CAROUSEL
WHAT : The French Carousel,
HOW: Go to The French Carousel website here
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