Les Fa'bulleuses de Champagne

Envie de champagne wanted to put the spotlight on women and more specifically women winemakers in Champagne through an association created in 2014.

Florence Duchêne(champagne Florence Duchêne), Laureen Baillette(champagne Baillette-Prudhomme), Claire Blin(champagne Mary-Sessile), Sophie Milesi(Champagne Guy Méa), Hélène Beaugrand(champagne Beaugrand), Mathilde Bonnevie(champagne Rochet-Bocart) and Charlotte de Sousa(champagne de Sousa) together form " Les Fa'bulleuses de champagne ".

Charlotte de Sousa, you're the daughter and granddaughter of Champagne winemakers, how did the Fa'Bulleuses association you're part of come about?
We are an association of 7 women winemakers, created in 2014. Initially, Hélène and Claire met at a wine fair in Toulouse and thought it would be interesting to set up a discussion group for women of the same generation who love Champagne . Hélène knew of women's associations in other regions, including Vinifilles in Languedoc.So the idea was born to unite under the same banner, that of women winemakers in Champagne.Hélène and Claire brought together 5 more girls. And little by little, the association came into being. Right from the start, we found a balance with 7 and we'd like to keep it that way. What's more, we've created a real bond of friendship. What's more,the number 7 is very symbolic.

Why is the number 7 symbolic for you?
The number 7 is found in many traditions, beliefs and legends, for example.It evokes the perfect, completed, finished cycle.The number 7 brings to mind, among other things, the 7 days of the week, the 7 colors of the rainbow, and the 7 wonders of the world, like us! (laughs)

Is it important to get together exclusively as women?
Yes, we needed to help each other, especially on a professional level, with everything to do with the vines, the wines, the passing on of knowledge and working as a family.We understand each other, we have the same problems from one farm to another.We feel less alone.We exchange ideas and support each other enormously.It's also an opportunity to unite around a common voice that's stronger than each of us on our own.

In 2021, there are still very few associations of women winemakers in Champagne?
When we created the association, we were the very first association of women winegrowers in Champagne.We were very surprised that there hadn't been others before.And yet, there have always been women winegrowers in Champagne, but they've never banded together.They are often in the shadow of their husbands or fathers, and even more often considered to be "in the office" and not in the field.Often, the winemaker is put forward, but not the couple as a whole.We wanted to put the women in the spotlight and not be in someone else's shadow. The great widows are very well known (Mme Pommery, Mme Clicquot, Mme Perrier...), but they haven't been around for a while.Still, there aren't many women winemakers in the spotlight.

At the time, did you get any comments from men about the creation of this all-female association?
Yes, of course, especially in the early days.Inevitably, the naysayers saw the project as not at all serious. We were around 25 years old, and we heard a lot here and there that it wouldn't last, that we'd inevitably "get into a tiff" or "oh, a little group of girls getting together over a coffee to talk about tupperware!".All the usual stereotypes.On the other hand, we've been supported and encouraged by many too, our families, friends and entourage.

In 2016, you even won the Champagne Trophy for Packaging of the Year?

We brought out a box in the shape of a paint can, like a champagne bucket that turns into a stool afterwards, the " Fa'bulleuse seat ".The packaging was very modern, contemporary and colorful. We wanted to dust off the image of champagne by putting our 7 champagnes in this paint can.We were incredibly lucky. It's a real team effort that's been rewarded with this trophy.

What have you created with Fa'bulleuses?
We released a cuvée in 2020, in which we blended our 7 wines.Initially, we created a boxed set, each with a flagship champagne from its own estate. Then we wanted to create a blend of all our wines and our 7 personalities in a single " Isos ". Isos means " equal" in Greek. We did the same for each woman's wines, blending them equally. 7 women, 7 houses, 7 wines and 655 bottles and 200 magnums designed.

It's a real challenge to bring out a cuvée with 7 different wine characters and women?
We had done 3 tastings to fine-tune this cuvée, but we had some nice surprises, we managed to work together in a very simple way, and to be very attentive to each other. We used each other's strengths to create a very pretty cuvée.

Any future projects for the Fa'bulleuses?
Just last week, we made our future blend with the 2020 harvest.While the wines age, it will be released in 2 or 3 years. Our wish is to make a collection of 7 bottles, over several years, and above all to give a voice to our association of women winemakers.