Bordeaux-based wine and spirits logistics provider Dartess (Tesson Group) wanted to change its approach for delivering to professional customers in Burgundy. Meanwhile, Sapam, the Strasbourg-based wholesaler specializing in fruits, vegetables, and seafood—already active in this region—had capacity available in its 9 trucks supplying customers between Saône-et-Loire and Côte d’Or from its Chalon-sur-Saône warehouse.
30,000 Bottles Since May 2025
The two companies struck a deal, and since May 2025, no fewer than 30,000 bottles have been transported by Sapam, from 3-bottle cartons to multiple pallets. Dartess, which also has a relay point near Chalon-sur-Saône, brings merchandise to Sapam’s docks, and Sapam can sometimes collect wines directly from producers and merchants.
Service Quality Over Price
“We integrate their professional customers into our routes—previously served by express carriers and other transporters who retain the private customer segment. Our trucks are better filled this way,” notes Frédéric Marsaudon, Director of Sapam Bourgogne.
Was it Sapam’s pricing policy that convinced Dartess? The wholesaler’s spokesperson says no: “Dartess was looking for a last-mile provider that transports under temperature control to avoid thermal shocks to their products, and that has real customer contact—not just hello/goodbye.”
Expansion Plans
A service question, then, in an area where Dartess must compete (with Transvins, for example), as must Sapam (against Terre Azur-Pomona Group). This partnership is set to expand to Franche-Comté and Alsace via Sapam depots in Besançon, Mulhouse, and Strasbourg.
A family-owned group with nearly 300 employees, Sapam reports revenue of €84 million (as of September 2024). Dartess employs 260 staff, notably across its 113,000 sqm of warehouses, and claims revenue of €30 million.