 Guy de Rivoire looks after the Asia pacific, Middle East and Caribbean which naturally includes India for the premier Champagne imported by Brindco. Although he has been with Bollinger only since early 2011, he has been working with the different Champagne Houses owned by the mega LVMH for 15 years even though by education he is a lawyer with experience as a banker before coming into the bubbly world of Champagne.
He is frank to admit that the suave James Bond 007 drinking Bollinger in 11 movies helped the brand which has loyal followers. Live and Let die, License to Kill, Die another day, Moonraker etc all had Bond drink their Vintage Champagnes. However, the family run Champagne House since 1829 has been purveyor to the Queen’s Palace since 1884. It is also interesting that Champagne Bollinger has remained a Bond favourite even as the torch has been passed from Roger Moore to Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and now Daniel Craig. The film’s producers became friends of the owners and the new books and films now incorporate the Champagne, says Guy.
Bollinger is not in any race with the likes of Moet e Chandon and Pernod Ricard’s Mumm, he is quick to point out when quizzed about the marketing strategy. Although 86% of their champagnes are exported, they do not compete with those wines-perhaps reason enough that Bollinger is not seen at any Sunday unlimited -Champagne Brunches in any metro city yet.
Emphasizing on the quality and their dry toasty style, he says that Bollinger is renowned for its use of traditional methods that include extensive use of Pinot Noir, individual vinification of each cru, barrel fermentation and extra-aging of all of its Champagnes on the lees prior to disgorgement. About two thirds of their grapes come from their own estate 162 hA of Vineyards and 85% come from the Grand and Premiers crus.
What does he think of CIVC when I tell him that it is perhaps the strongest Unions in the wine world-controlling quantity that may be sold and prices besides the usual quality controls? ‘ I agree with you but considering the long storage required, with grapes costing €5 a kg, costs do tend to be high,’ adding, ‘in our case, for instance, majority of our Reserve wines are a collection of 600,000 magnums. We do the extra ageing-well above the Appellation rules. We are one of the few Champagne houses still fermenting in small barrels to give extra flavour. But we are happy that we are able to sell all our production to our select customers even though slightly higher priced than Moet Chandon.’
The Bollinger Rose that I was drinking may be about 10% cheaper than Laurent Perrier, but it is almost 15-20% more expensive than Moet, VCP etc.
Chatting with him, sipping the rose Champagne in good company of Dhalls made me feel quite happy though hungry and my thoughts went to Madame Bollinger (Aunt Lilly) who ran Bollinger for 30 years and to whom the following lyrics were attributed 50 years ago in 1961:
‘I drink it when I’m happy
and when I’m sad.
Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone.
When I have company
I consider it obligatory.
I trifle with it if I’m not hungry
and I drink it when I am.
Otherwise I never touch it,
unless I’m thirsty.’
And as I feel thirsty I wonder if she had referred to the Rose Champagne I was sipping with this Guy from Bollinger.
Subhash Arora |