Ever since Guide Hachette publisher David Campbell and Majestic Wine co-founder Esme Johnson established FromVineyardsDirect in 2007, we’ve been offering loyal customers a deliberately small, hand-selected range of high-quality drinking wines from France, Italy, and Spain. Just as the name implies: a collection of artisanal wines we import directly from producers and deliver directly to those who prefer authentic, hand-crafted, terroir-driven cuvées of individual expression and singular finesse – for prices well below those of traditional merchants.
Directly from the vineyards
David Campbell, FromVineyardsDirect Founder
David was introduced to wine publishing in the late '70s and early '80s as International Sales Director at Mitchell Beazley, where Hugh Johnson's Wine Atlas and Pocket Wine Book, and Michael Broadbent's Great Vintage Wine were best-sellers. As international publisher of Hachette in Paris (1982-90), he invented the Guide Hachette des Vins, France's No. 1-selling wine book.
In 1991, he revived the Everyman’s Library, of which he remains publisher. Since then, it has released more than 600 titles, selling more than 25 million books. In 2007 David was awarded France’s highest honour, the Légion d’Honneur.
Esme Johnstone, FromVineyardsDirect Co-founder
Having co-founded Majestic Wine over forty years ago, Esme helped revolutionise wine buying in the UK. By introducing a warehouse format with young, energetic staff selling a cosmopolitan range of wines, his shared formula’s success was as immediate as its spread was rapid. In 1989, Johnstone then sold his interest in the company and relocated to Château de Sours in Bordeaux where he was instrumental in producing critically acclaimed wines that also featured ‘probably the best rosé in the world’.