A skiing holiday in the French Alps helped to start a new Brighton-based specialist wine company.

Burgundy Wines was set up in April by accountant Derek Fowlie and was officially launched this month by French wine expert Jean-Pierre Simonnet.

Derek said: "The idea for the company came to me while I was driving to the Alps for a skiing holiday with my wife, Julie.

"So, on the way back, we stopped for a few days in Burgundy, tasted a selection of wines and decided to look into the idea in detail."

Once home in Brighton, Derek spent time researching the industry, the products and the market and set about creating the company.

"For many years, I have been encouraged to drink a wide selection of Burgundy wine by my long-standing friend and neighbour, David House.

"I've been a regular visitor to the region with its wonderful scenery, great food and, of course, its magnificent wine.

"The company will trade via the internet and through mail order, to individuals, small and large corporate customers and restaurants."

He added: "We are not aiming simply at the wine buff but they will be delighted with the wines as well as everyone else.

"We are happy to chat to customers and to try to select a wine to suit them."

Derek said he believed Burgundy Wines was the only UK company to specialise in wines from the whole of the Burgundy region, including Chablis in the the north and Beaujolais in thesouth.

M Simonnet was the guest of honour at the company's launch.

He said: "This is only my second visit to Brighton.

"The first time was when I was a student in 1956 when I was learning to speak English.

"In Chablis at the moment we are very busy with the wine harvest which is going well and we have an excellent crop of grapes this year.

"However, I'm very pleased to be in Brighton to talk about my wines and to support the launch of the new company.

"I know Burgundy Wines has some excellent wines because some of them come from Chablis."

At present Derek is dealing in 129 wines, nine of which are organic.

There are 88 reds, 39 whites and two sparkling wines.