For his first two years as Maison Mumm‘s Cellar Grasp, Laurent Fresnet related with a lot of his viewers from a distance. Fresnet assumed the position in January 2020. Simply weeks later, worldwide lockdowns restricted journey and put a pause in his aim to fulfill face-to-face with customers within the Champagne home’s worldwide markets.
That didn’t cease Fresnet from discovering inspiration in unlikely locations. He dove headfirst into designing new tasting experiences for guests to Mumm’s Reims-based vineyards and cellars, which may then be tailored for worldwide excursions and audiences. For Fresnet and his group, this meant increasing well-beyond the standard winemaking house.
One collaboration he’s personally pleased with concerned neuroscientist Gabriel Lepousez, and collectively they developed customized glassware for a tasting expertise that examines how colour, texture, and temperature dramatically influence one’s sense of style — even when sampling the identical cuvée.
Now, with lockdowns lifted, Fresnet has been on a whirlwind worldwide tour. On his first go to to the US as Cellar Grasp, Fresnet led teams of journalists and aficionados by means of one such tasting; sampled cuvées included G.H. Mumm’s Grand Cordon Rosé, Millésimé 2013, RSRV Blanc de Noirs 2012, RSRV Cuvée Lalou 2006, and RSRV Rosé Foujita. And for the primary time ever on American soil, audiences sampled uncommon Mumm classic cuvée on particular launch: Cordon Rouge Vinothéque 1961.
Days earlier than the tastings, Drinkhacker sat down with Fresnet to debate why he’s so insistent on connecting with Champagne drinkers in individual, together with the extra sudden challenges of constructing — and sustaining — one of many world’s largest Champagne manufacturers.
Word: This interview has been calmly edited for readability.
Drinkhacker: What are you hoping to find out about American Champagne customers?
Laurent Fresnet: I got here to the U.S. to fulfill the client, to have an alternate with them, to assist them perceive that I don’t make Champagne for me. I must have an alternate with them, I must seize suggestions to know how consumption is altering. That features earlier than and after Covid lockdowns. All the things’s shifting. We have to have the suggestions that embrace two years of lockdowns, the place relaying feelings has turn out to be tough. And it’s a lot better to do this in individual with customers right here, one after the other.
Drinkhacker: What are some issues that you just’ve heard from American customers and prospects that possibly shocked you?
Fresnet: I’m very open about that. I don’t count on something particularly. I would like solely to alternate with folks, and what I’m searching for is to have a dialog about what they need and really feel. When you count on one thing already, it’s tough to get near folks to find out about what they actually need. I must preserve my thoughts open and free heading into these conversations, so I attempted to not have expectations!
Drinkhacker: Do you assume there are any misconceptions that American customers have about your product or concerning the Champagne class basically?
Fresnet: A giant false impression is that Champagne is just for occasions, and many individuals don’t perceive you can pair meals with Champagne. Champagne can age as a wine, and lots of people don’t assume that Champagne actually is a wine, anyway. However it’s a wine! Now we have numerous misconceptions, however we are saying it’s the King of the Wine, or King of the Drinks, one of many Kings.
Drinkhacker: What are some questions that you just get from first time Champagne drinkers?
Fresnet: The primary query I get is, “What are you going to alter about Mumm? Why are you going to alter?” That’s all the time the primary sentence. And in my thoughts, the a lot extra tough factor isn’t to alter, it’s to breed a method. That represents 90 % of your job, to be in keeping with the model and to be common. To create a really nice steadiness between the model and the non-vintage wine. It’s so tough to breed a method. My first job is to ensure the model round Mumm.
Drinkhacker: What about Mumm’s vineyards and the bodily presence of being there stands out for people who find themselves fortunate sufficient to go to?
Fresnet: After I arrived at Mumm, I used to be shocked by the large plots they’ve within the vineyards. You’ve acquired 218 hectares, largely planting Grand Cru. Within the area, numerous producers are solely rising 10% of their very own provide. Mumm is 20 %, it’s double. So it’s an enormous plot of their very own to assist assure the model and consistency of Mumm.
Drinkhacker: The place do you search for inspiration in designing, tasting, and pairing experiences?
Fresnet: We’ve labored with numerous cooks and constructed numerous experiences round meals pairing earlier than. What we attempt to do now’s to work far more with cooks in numerous nations, as a result of every nation has completely different flavors, completely different sorts of greens, it’s all completely different. And we have to have a special strategy in every nation, with completely different cooks and with completely different meals. After we transfer into a rustic, it’s crucial for us — for everyone — to fulfill the patron and meet the style of how they eat wine and pair with meals from that nation.
For instance, in Europe you don’t have the identical flavors as chances are you’ll get in components of Asia. So we have to go into these markets and nations, and work with these cooks to design our particular pairings. It’s a brand new train in making ready every time.
Drinkhacker: What are a few of your private objectives for the following 5 to 10 years?
Fresnet: Haha, I can’t let you know all the pieces. However for me, the very first thing is to be safe and make sure the model of Mumm stays constant. That’s far and away my first aim. After that, it’s to innovate, to work throughout years with a group. And within the winery, with the brand new viticulture course of, we made a sustainable viticulture assure since 2016. We haven’t used any chemical product in our viticulture since 2019. That features lowering the usage of added product for fertilizer, for instance. We have to concentrate on the influence of the grapes, and naturally of the wine. In order that requires numerous testing!
About Put up Writer
