Champagne Wishes: Nicolas Feuillatte's Rose Champagne is Perfect For the Holidays Says Whom You Know!
There is just something about a Rose Champagne that just seems magical. The pink hue calls to mind an important celebration. With Nicolas Feuillatte's Rose Champagne, there is no reason to wait for a special occasion! A true French Champagne (no sparkling wine here), is is also a great value. Ok, a great value for a Rose! The main wine is the Pinot Noir. At 60% this is not for the shy! It brings about dense cherry flavors,a long with the expected red fruits, but also slighly more than a hint of spice. I enjoyed the well balanced finish. The bubbles were spot on -- not overwhelming at all! It really was an almost silky champagne. The other ingredients, Pinot Meunier (30%) and Chardonnay (10%) play a lovely role in taming the Pinot Noir! I cannot wait to invite over some of my girlfriends and have a Rose night! I see some lovely sashimi in our future with this
one!
Thank goodness, champagne is not for just special occasions anymore. I typically pop open a bottle of champagne almost as frequently as I crack open a bottle of wine. Champagne is the ultimate way to just get things started. I have been mixing it up a little by going with Nicolas Feuillatte Rose these days. Love the intense pink color! Nothing is more festive in a glass then a bubbly pink rose. Crisp and succulent, I am really impressed by this champagne. The palette is totally satisfied and intensified with a subtle sweet flavor that engulfs the senses. From the exciting dancing bubbles to the good rush to my head, I feel a moment of zen. So if you have not tried the Nicolas Feuilllate line of champagne, there is now better way to start then with the Rose. Once introduced, I know you will add it to your list. Thoughts of tiny bubbles danced through my head this Winter season.
A special occasion calls for a special drink. Champagne comes to mind right away! But is regular Champagne enough? Nicolas Feuillatte offers a unique Rose Champagne that will rise to any special occasion. This wine is fresh and fruity. It is also dry and light. It really is an exceptional Rose Champagne. It has notes of orange, berries, and spices that will keep you coming back for another glass. It would pair quite well with a meal of chicken or pork. However, it stands up perfectly all on its own! With so many holiday parties and New Year's Eve right around the corner, this wine is a necessity on your shopping list! It's gorgeous pink color and it's fantastic taste make it the perfect choice. Once you've tried a bottle, you certainly won't regret it!
Nicolas Feuillatte makes an outstanding rose champagne . As part of it's star line-up, the rose is a "festival of red fruits": red currant, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry. These fruits add to the careful balance of the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Meunier for a bright addition to any holiday table. Pair it with goat cheese for a simple apperitif, for all your holiday toasting. Nicolas Feuillatte describes this champagne as having an almost coppery color. Think of the warm bronx tones of a classic statue and it's sensuous patina, and savor the beauty that is in this bottle. Rose champagne is one of those "gotta-get, gotta-have" wines; to keep in your "cellar" and enjoy year round as a celebration of life. For new Year's Eve, this rose champagne makes a superb opener for the evening's festivities. On their website, is an animated step-by-step "how to" on their website for beginners that will turn any novice into an educated consumer. Cultivate your taste in champagne and join M. Feuillatte's friends of old: Jacqueline Onassis, Yves St.Laurent, Shirley Maclaine in raising your glass to this most excellent of champagnes. It's the color of the season: happy, and always in good taste.
***
The Centre Vinicole
Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte:
A facility servicing the entire Champagne region
The Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte was created from
the ambitious idea to provide growers with a highly technological
facility and seek to gain added value in export markets, in order to
give greater financial rewards to its members. It has far exceeded
this challenge, as its 5,000 members will testify.
The CV - CNF is equipped with an exceptional production facility
in the very heart of the Champagne appellation, with all the
necessary equipment including stainless steel tanks with a total
capacity of 304,000 hl, gyropallets, individual filling (tirage),
disgorging and finishing and dressing lines, all providing a fully
automated wine-making process dedicated to the pursuit of
quality. The equipment is essential to respond to market needs
and of course to those of its members.
“Man is the only true source of wealth” takes on a whole new
dimension at the CV - CNF. The Centre was set up as a result of the
growers’ commitment to secure the necessary means to confront
the spectacular rise in consumer demand. With this in mind, the
Centre primarily focused on the needs of its members and on
providing a solution combining the best blending facilities with
impressive economic performance. Having decided to invest in the
Nicolas Feuillatte and Palmes d’Or brands, the CV - CNF has had
a significant impact on the structure of the Champagne industry,
offering an alternate and credible economic solution to Champagne
growers and producers.
Creating added value for Growers
There are various routes to market in Champagne. Firstly, a system
whereby growers retain in excess of 80% of the land, and by definition,
of the grapes, but do not necessarily have the means to market their
Champagne. They sell their grapes to negociants who transform them and
sell a finished product to the consumer, with enhanced market value.
Secondly, the traditional cooperative model acts as an interface between
growers and negociants, in direct response to members and clients alike,
but it does not affect the natural stability of the market, because it has not
invested in the tools needed to build added value brands.
Then comes the CV - CNF that has considerably raised the game, ever
mindful of the key principles enforced by the CIVC*. These principles are:
to give added value to the Champagne appellation, both the 34,000 ha
currently planted and any foreseeable future expansion, and to guarantee
an economic structure based upon market regulation between buyers
and sellers of grapes (restricted yields per hectare, setting quality reserve
levels, controlling volumes). The CV - CNF, in this way, offers technical
support with a particular focus on the early stages of the process, and also
makes the wines accessible to consumers, through the Nicolas Feuillatte
and Palmes d’Or brands.
In record time, through a widely implemented development strategy,
the Centre has achieved exceptional and unprecedented success: Nicolas
Feuillatte features every year in the top 5 Champagne brands throughout
the world and Palmes d’Or enjoys increasing success.
It is a bet that has evidently paid off, and which presents various
advantages: firstly, by enabling partner growers to see the fruit of their
vines as a finished product, in truly inspirational bottles, and in turn,
giving a return on the added value generated. Value-creation not only
benefits members, but also, based on the principal of supply and demand,
consequently contributes towards a positive revaluation of the grapes, to
the benefit of the region as a whole.
Quality at every level
The CV - CNF knows how to use the advantages of a cooperative
system (i.e. services for its members, the marketing and development
of the Nicolas Feuillatte brand and solutions adapted to the needs of
other key players in Champagne - see text opposite), in order to
enhance and capitalise on the value of its business opportunities,
and to play its part in overseeing the principle of redistributing the
added value throughout the Champagne economy. The durability of
the Champagne economy is built upon a respect for quality at every
level. This principle has been adopted as a battle cry at the CV - CNF,
and is supported by the entire community. This near obsession with
quality starts at the earliest stages of production in order to safeguard
the expertise of the growers, and to support them at every stage of
the process, (technical advice, support services, information days,
training, study trips and field sales initiatives), to encourage the vine
to yield grapes of exceptional quality. 1998 saw the launch of the
“Vignoble & Qualité” initiative (“Quality in the Vineyard Day”),
organised each year by the CV - CNF, uniting researchers, technical
advisors and growers to study the evolution of the vineyard and to
provoke discussion with regards to allowing the vine to express its
true potential.
An exceptional supply source
Skilled technical specialists recognised in their field, implement a
quality strategy at the earliest possible stage, which truly comes
into its own at the crafting stage of the different wines. Here too,
the leading Union of Champagne Producers has an exceptional
advantage, in having an unparalleled aromatic palette at its
disposal, with grapes sourced from more than 5,000 growers
(almost 1 in 3 growers in Champagne). In addition, a 2,243 ha
area supplying the Centre, accounting for 7% of the appellation,
ensures that grapes are sourced from the entire Champagne region,
offering winemakers an exceptional combination of possibilities at
the blending stage, particularly as the grapes are sourced from 13
of the 17 Champagne Crus, and 33 of the 42 permitted Premier
Crus. The growers are also involved at this stage, attending the
base wine tastings in order to appreciate the organoleptic qualities
of the different Crus and to truly understand the work of the Cellar
master and his team of winemakers. This exemplary supply source
and relentless drive for quality have contributed to the growth of
the Nicolas Feuillatte and Palmes d’Or brands, and have secured
the future of the Union of Cooperatives and as a result, the future
of its 5,000 partners.
The cooperative model
The cooperative system was created at the request of
the growers and farmers. Aspiring to a greater role
than mere providers of raw materials, they created
resources to supply, collect, process and market, to
complement the agricultural phase. In order to put
these cooperative resources in place, they made a
commitment both in terms of agricultural produce
and equipment, and institutional capital.
A number of general principles guide the activities
of the cooperative structure: economic performance,
solidarity at all times, commitment to regional development
and safeguarding the financial strength
of its members.
In parallel, cooperative members share three institutional
values: equality based on the principle of “one
man, one voice”, transparency and finally solidarity,
essentially that the human being prevails.
The strategy implemented by the Centre, which
has transported the Nicolas Feuillatte brand to an
international level, is unique in Champagne. The
rewards for its associate-growers are two-fold:
greater added value and the association with a truly
inspirational product.
*The CIVC is the official body under the joint and
equal control of two Syndicates responsible for coordinating
the common interests of growers and
producers in Champagne.
Ambition
Joint
Interview
Sylvain Delaunois, President and Dominique
Pierre, Managing Director: “We don’t just
reward production but also the awareness of
our brands.”
Dominique Pierre joined the Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas
Feuillatte in 1995, becoming its Director in 2001, at the request of
Sylvain Delaunois, who at the time was President designate of the
Cooperative Union, a role he had held since 2000. The two men
share the same values and have managed to combine their skills and
undeniable energy to give a new dimension to the company. Here are
their shared views on the present and future.
Thirty-six years after its creation, does the Centre still have the
potential to grow?
Sylvain Delaunois: Absolutely, and I think it is an economic
necessity to sustain the Champagne model. Cooperation is a key
tool to ensure balance between growers and negociants. The
Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte has a very special
role to play in this respect, and must continue to grow, taking one
step at a time. We are in a relatively stable period, as long as the
Appellation retains the same geographical limits, but in years to
come, quite naturally, we will have more room to manoeuvre in
terms of supplies, with the aim of developing our business, and of
course, the Nicolas Feuillatte brand.
Dominique Pierre: It seems obvious that the current Champagne model
exists because key players in Champagne had the foresight to maintain
this important economic balance. Everyone is aware of the specific
role played by the Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte,
and this must encourage growers to make use of the Centre to ensure
the durability of a system which ensures that the added value is shared
by everybody.
The Centre was built based on a cooperative model, but today,
through the Nicolas Feuillatte brand, it is competing in export
markets in the same arena as the négociant trade. Does this
mean that you have become a “négociant” as well?
Sylvain Delaunois: It is true that commercially, our legal status is
not really important. However, a cooperative identity is viewed in a
positive way, and it is more of an asset than a hindrance. Certainly
the advantage of the cooperative system lies in the production phase.
Our added value goes directly to our members and is not used to
increase capital investment. It is easier for a grower to accept that
investments are used to improve the facility that will help add value to
the raw materials he delivers to the cooperative, rather than to see the
money committed to rewarding investors.
Dominique Pierre: The legal status of the different players is
of no importance to the market, except in certain cases, with the
Anglophone markets or in the USA in particular, where our position
as a union of cooperatives is an asset, as it implies honesty, sincerity
and a sense of origin. However, what really makes a difference is
quality, brand awareness and price. Whilst it is important never
to forget this, nothing prevents us from using our status to enhance
our corporate image.
Is it a handicap to only supply one product in the wine and spirits
sector?
Sylvain Delaunois: It is definitely more costly to only supply one
product than to market a large range.
Dominique Pierre: Yes, because it would be simpler to share the
costs across different products. And no, because it actually drives us to
keep improving; we must be good at what we do and remain focused
on quality alone.
Does this mean that you would consider setting up partnerships
with other wine and spirits companies?
Dominique Pierre: Yes, and in fact we are working with certain
distributors that are not restricted to supplying one product. This is the
case both abroad and here in France, as we saw with the agreement
made in early 2008 with a leading supplier of premium wines in the
South of France.
Why is it important for Champagne to rely on a union of
cooperatives like yours?
Sylvain Delaunois: Today in Champagne, the Centre Vinicole -
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte is virtually the only quality channel
outside of the négociant trade. Our members are confident that
they are sharing in the fame and success of the Nicolas Feuillatte
and Palmes d’Or brands. We are the only region in France –
possibly in the world – where the grower can benefit considerably
from this notoriety from the production stage onwards. The
Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte guarantees on a
day-to-day basis that producers are remunerated in proportion to
the product’s retail value, and not just on what they have produced.
Since 2004, our financial contributions are linked directly to the
Nicolas Feuillatte bottle price. Such initiatives contribute to the
durability of the economic model of the Champagne region.
How do you explain the success of the Nicolas Feuillatte
brand?
Dominique Pierre: When we bought the brand in 1986, it was
selling 200,000 bottles and ten years later, volumes had increased
to 1.7 million. A number of analysts predicted that the growth
would be ultimately limited to 5 million bottles. Today, we sell
almost 9 million bottles under the Nicolas Feuillatte label and we
feature every year in the top 5 Champagne brands throughout the
world. Our success is due to the fact that we were able to expertly
fuse the brand’s main strengths: the loyalty and confidence of our
producers, the quality of our products, thanks to the expertise of
our Cellar master and the art of blending and lastly, the care and
standards of our teams, which allow us to refer to a true Nicolas
Feuillatte family.
How can the Centre Vinicole contribute to the long-term
protection of the Champagne model?
Sylvain Delaunois: We will only be able to sustain the economic
model of Champagne if a structure like ours is able to carry on the
marketing of quality products. We must also keep remunerating
producers and take advantage of the fact that both our brands, and
the Champagne region, benefit from heightened awareness.
Dominique Pierre: Our union of cooperatives will become what its
members want it to be. Have they put their faith in us? I think they
must have, as their regular increase in supplies proves. Preserving the
economic balance in Champagne depends on developing a strong
cooperative model. The Centre Vinicole will naturally play its part
tomorrow, as it did yesterday.
Thinking of the future, what does the Director of Nicolas Feuillatte
dream of?
Dominique Pierre: I dream that the wonderful Nicolas Feuillatte
adventure will continue, however not only in terms of increased
volumes. I wish for greater brand awareness, and that our
positioning, the strength of our production and the improvements
made in the vineyards be recognised today and tomorrow by our
members as a major asset for the future. Let’s keep expanding for
our growers’ sake and for the sake of the cooperative model. In this
respect, the Palmes d’Or brand has a specific role to play in our
strategy. We perceive the brand as an endless revenue stream on
the domestic market, obviously, but also globally. Palmes d’Or is
an endless spark for dreams and the imagination…
And what about the President’s dreams?
Sylvain Delaunois: I dream that any concerns related to sharing
the value of Champagne will disappear, thanks to the cooperative
approach and, of course, to the Centre Vinicole. Our objective is to
continue this shared approach, in exactly the same way as we have
done for the last 50 years. Let’s not forget that for 250 years, this
wasn’t the case. We must therefore be strong enough to ensure that
both growers and the wine trade share equitably. We will keep a
close eye on this, uphold our values and never forget that quality
is paramount!
Sustainable
Development
More than just an
expectation
a matter of urgency
Economic efficiency, social equity and protecting the environment
are key values at the heart of the Centre Vinicole - Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte. A global approach to sustainable development
is a permanent focus of the business.
“We do not inherit the land of our fathers,
we borrow it from our children.”
These wise words, attributed to Antoine Saint-Exupery, are
particularly relevant to the Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas
Feuillatte (CV - CNF). Created by grape-growers for grape-growers,
the most important cooperative union in Champagne is mindful of
the importance of preserving its terroir and its economic model,
with a balanced, socially conscious approach. Its commitment to
sustainable development is second nature for this institution firmly
rooted in the terroir, where relocation is not an option, as readily
vocalised by its directors.
The strength of mutualisation, available to more than 5,000
growers, members and associates, helps to maintain the overall
economic balance in Champagne, and as a result, allows for the
redistribution of a share in profits. Daily advice and support for
growers, using constantly updated techniques, coupled with
a commitment to building mutually beneficial relations with
regional suppliers, comes in line with a determination to sustain
the continuity of the local “economic fabric”. Just as the CV - CNF
accords great importance to participating in the economic growth
of Champagne, it is also a committed defender of local heritage
and the global image of Champagne. On a social level, it ensures
the protection of its members’ expertise, and guarantees that their
craft is safeguarded and handed down to future generations, by
providing younger growers with a range of training opportunities,
including information days such as “Vignoble & Qualité” and
general open days, and also study trips. At the heart of the
CV - CNF, the business prioritises the professional development of
its workforce, by improving working conditions and establishing
individual training and development plans, encouraging social
dialogue from a very early stage.
ISO 22000
Certification
The Centre Vinicole -
Champagne Nicolas
Feuillatte is the first and
only Champagne institution
to be accredited with ISO
22000 certification. This
international industry
standard and guarantee
of high levels in food safety,
was awarded in June
2007 and is further proof
of the exacting quality
standards adopted by
the no. 1 cooperative union
in Champagne.
Company
Barometer
The Centre Vinicole -
Champagne Nicolas
Feuillatte has set up a
“Company Barometer” in
order to remain attentive to
the needs and expectations
of its staff in terms of
management, environment,
working conditions and
communication. A dedicated
team is responsible
for regularly charting
“employee engagement”.
Eco-environmental policy
In addition to policies set up to maintain Champagne’s “economic
fabric” and to guarantee social equity, protecting the environment is
the third and final constituent element that contributes to form the
basis of sustainable development, which has become an integral part
of daily life at the CV - CNF.
On environmental issues, the Centre is active at every level. Its
implementation starts at a very early stage, giving advice and support
to its members with regards to sustainable viticulture, but also further
down the line, with regards to eco-conception, aiming to take into
account every possible environmental concern when developing new
products. In the same way, the CV - CNF has for a number of years
adopted an ambitious eco-environmental policy. It focuses on the
reduction of pollutant agents by increasing transport efficiency, reducing
the use of natural resources and also by significant waste reduction,
with a recycling target set at 100%. Less energy, less paper, less
water… even the day-to-day makes a difference, as the CV - CNF now
uses the same amount of water in a day as it used in an hour in 1999.
Recruiting a sustainable development executive is yet another example
of its relentless commitment to adapt sustainable development to its
current lifestyle, and even more so, to that of the future. This commitment
has been rewarded numerous times over the years, culminating in 2000
with the ISO 14001, and in June 2007 the ISO 22000 (international
industry standard guaranteeing high standards in food safety),
especially as the Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte is the
first Champagne Company to pride itself on this achievement.
The policy adopted by the CV-CNF is an integrated quality approach,
given the fact that the Champagne House was granted ISO 9001
certification in 2001.
Diversity in the workplace
The Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte is committed
to integrating the disadvantaged into the workplace, and to this
end helped set up the regional employment centre situated in
Epernay (Maison de l’emploi d’Epernay et sa région), and each
year is the proud sponsor of a number of under-privileged young
adults. The integration of workers with disabilities is also top of
the agenda, and the CV - CNF regularly uses local organisations
and work help centres for the disabled.
Eco-conception
As an integral part of its environment, the Centre Vinicole - Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte was by nature interested in the possibilities offered
by the Champagne-based, globally-oriented nonbiased centre for
Industry and Agro-Resources (IAR - Industries & Agro-Ressources).
Its mission is to recycle plant biomass through a variety of usages
(energy, bio-materials, green chemistry etc.). The CV - CNF joined
the Champagne-Ardenne and Picardy Industrial and Agro-Resources
Competitive Cluster at the end of 2007. The CV - CNF is the only
structure in Champagne to have joined to date ! It remains committed
to using agro-resource by-products such as bio-detergents, biodegradable
materials, bio-fuels and bio-adhesives, while at the same
time contributing to financing new product development and
innovative packaging using environmental components.
Green electricity
The Centre Vinicole -
Champagne Nicolas
Feuillatte not only uses
100% green electricity,
but also reduced its
electrical consumption
by 9% between 2001
and 2008, by putting
in place many different
adaptations for greater
energy efficiency, such as
insulation and self-timer
or automatic power-down
devices.
Recycling Waste
100% of waste at the
Centre Vinicole - Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte is now
recycled, employing all
available procedures with
the implication of the entire
workforce. The institution
adheres to a Trade Waste
Best Practice Guide from
the early stages of the
process, prioritising the use
of returnable and reusable
containers.
Performance
The Centre Vinicole
Champagne Nicolas
Feuillatte in figures
1.The current ranking of the Nicolas Feuillatte brand in France.
3. 1 in 3 grape growers in Champagne is a member of the Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte (CV - CNF).
4. The number of Presidents of the CV - CNF since 1972. Henri Macquart, Serge Rafflin, Alain Robert and Sylvain Delaunois have all in turn, been responsible for heading up the first-ever cooperative union.
5. Nicolas Feuillatte features in the top 5 Champagne brands throughout
the world.
9. More than 9 million bottles sold in 2008.
13. The number of Grand Cru vineyards in Champagne, from a total of 17, which supply grapes to produce the different Champagnes at the CV- CNF.
25. The average number of bottles in millions, produced each year at the CV - CNF.
33. The number of Premier Crus, out of a total of 42, which supply the CV - CNF.
84. The number of cooperatives that belong to the CV - CNF.
90. The storage capacity in millions of bottles, at the Centre Vinicole.
100. The target for waste water purification, as a percentage, following treatment at the Centre’s automated purification plant. The current purification level is more than 99%.
281. The number of Cru vineyards, out of a total 321, from which grapes are sourced for the Centre Vinicole.
1972 The year that the largest union of growers was founded.
1986 The year that Nicolas Feuillatte met the directors of the CV - CNF, and handed over the brand name.
2 243 The total number of hectares in the appellation supplying the CV - CNF (2008 harvest figures).
9,000 The number of bottles that can be disgorged and labelled each hour.
20,000 The hourly bottling capacity at the Centre.
22,000 The ISO 22000 certification guarantees high standards in food safety and the Centre Vinicole is the first organisation in Champagne to obtain this internationally recognised standard.
304 000 The tank storage capacity in hectolitres at the CV - CNF.
2009
Champagne
Quiz.
Refresh your knowledge.
Forget any fixed or preconceived ideas…
1. What is the most successful brand in France?
2. What is the brand that features every year in the Top 5 Champagnes in the world?
3. Which brand relies on more than 5,000 growers to supply the entire production of the Champagne vineyards?
4. Which is the youngest global brand, which was only 30 years old in 2006?
5. Who won a total 46 medals in 2008, including 6 gold medals?
6. Which brand, with only three simple words: “Epernay - New York -Beyond”, can set the imagination free?
Answer: Nicolas Feuillatte
To complete your knowledge and cast aside any preconceived ideas,
embark on a journey of discovery …
