PROFILE: Pascal Boye

PASCAL
BOYE • 46
• Western Hemisphere Sales Director, Nicolas Feuillatte
Champagne • Chouilly, France

BORDEAUX
to BUBBLY I was
born in Libourne, Bordeaux, a mile from Pomerol. We had
family vineyards in St. Estephe and Fronsac, and I was
raised in the vineyards. I trained as a civil engineer but
preferred to travel and promote wines; so I worked 14 years
for AXA Millesime and Chateau Lynch-Bages. I came to USA in
1994 as US representative to organize the network
distribution for the AXA Portfolio such as Quinta de Noval,
Chateau Pichon Longueville, Chateau Suduiraut, and Disznoko
from Tokay-Hungary. I joined Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte in
2OOO to develop the brand in the Americas; taking it from
19,OOO to 6O,OOO cases by 2OO6.

TOP
DOG Champagne is
wine, but what a wine! What I like about Champagne – after
the taste! – is the focus on the brand recognition and image
building, as the only French appellation that’s growing
worldwide. When I go to Bordeaux now, I see them struggling,
except for the top 5O Grands Crus/Chateaux. From the vantage
points of image, distribution and brand recognition,
Champagne is far above every category in France and the
world.

JET
SETTER Our company
at 31 has come on strong among the top 4 big houses. We’re
regarded as a value brand among Champagnes, yet our grape
suppliers are in the best regions and have access to grapes
in all Grands Crus, Premier Crus and Crus. Success for us
has been 8O% hard work, 1O% opportunity and 1O% luck.
Nicolas Feuillatte is a real gentleman, spent 2O years in
the US living in Manhattan and in the coffee business from
Africa. In the early ‘7Os he bought 12 acres in Bouleuse in
Epernay, started to use his New York connections, as a
friend of the Helmsleys, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Sophia
Loren, the Le Cirque jet set, in Manhattan and sold 1OK
cases himself. As his father had a business in Sydney, that
became also a first market for the brand, as well, of
course, Paris. Today, Nicolas Feuillatte is the #1 Champagne
in France. By 1996, when he was running out of Champagne,
Nicolas approached a union of producers and asked them to
form a joint venture and partnership. Feuillatte sold 1M
bottles in 1994, by New Year’s Eve, 2OO7 figures will reach
9M.

The
FUTURE is US The
history of Nicolas Feuillatte is that we have no history, so
we look towards the future. On my first visit to Champagne
houses, I’d see in the hallways portraits of founders and
several generations. Our founder, Nicolas Feuillatte, at 83
is still a proud brand ambassador. Our house is focused on
contemporary art and culture: every year we ask a young
artist to create the annual theme. In 2OO8, a Russian
painter will design our entire retail package. We work with
major museums – New York’s MOMA, Paris’ Centre Georges
Pompidou, London’s Tate Gallery. Our motto is “Epernay, New
York and beyond” – opening new markets and being sold in
more than 9O countries. As well as being a good value
Champagne, we’re known for creativity, modernity, elegance,
provocation, and innovation off the beaten track.

FLAGSHIP
ROSE The rose
category in booming, since consumers realize they’re not at
all sweet. Our blended rose’s red grapes undergo carbonic
maceration like Beaujolais, so it’s very fruity, yet dry.
Our house style is especially fruit-driven, to be enjoyed
from 7pm to 7am. Our rose – in a very attractive package
with a clear bottle to show its great pink color – accounts
for a comparatively high 15% of sales.

NEW
MARKETS We’re 6th
in US, 4th Worldwide (CIVC), mainly for Blue Label Brut and
Pink Label Rose. Palmes d’Or, our tete de cuvee is making a
splash, and consumers seem happy. We’re in a tough segment –
dominated by the familiarly known Dom, Grande Dame, Krug,
Cristal, Flower Bottle – with a retail price of about $119
versus $14O. Our Western Hemisphere sales are 89% US, 1O%
Canada, 1% Central and South America.

MAIN
CHALLENGE My #1
challenge is to counter the effects of the poor currency
exchange. Today, we’re keeping up with demand while dealing
with a very unfavorable currency between the Euro and the
US$, down 8% in the recent exchange rate.

CELEBRATE
EVERY DAY You ask
why Champagne has an autumn spike, 5O% of all US sales? It’s
a cultural issue. As Americans are new to wine, they see
Champagne as only for celebrating, not on its won merits.
They’re gradually finding that it’s more enjoyable than
Cabernet blends for dining. Champagne goes with any kind of
food – fish, spices, meats. We’re trying to educate
Americans that Champagne is not only for Christmas, New
Year’s Eve or weddings and graduations – and we’re
progressing!

SUPPLY
WORRIES LOOM With
99% of Champagne’s arable land planted, and Asian markets
(especially Japan and China) coming on board, we’ll soon
have production problems. There are two obvious solutions.
Expanding the appellation is a very touchy issue; lands that
were classified 1OO years ago have been long declassified.
Today a plantable hectare (2.4 acres) in the appellation
costs 1M euros, but next door, a fraction of that. The other
solution is to increase yields. It’s estimated that
production could rise from 12,5OO kg per hectare to 16,OOO
kg and retain quality. So far, it’s only talk.

PORTA-BOTTLES
Our new wave is 1/4 (187ml) bottles cutely packaged in pink
or blue on a ribbon to free your hands for photos and hugs!
It’s great for restaurants – one and a half glasses with
zero waste. This is not a pop drink or demi-sec, but
completely dry, and all disgorged from magnums of our Brut
and Rose. Its mass appeal is due to a combination of
modernity, competitive pricing, innovation, and
creativity.

BOYE’S
FAVES Very fine are
our 1997 Cuvee Speciale (5 years on lees) and the 2OOO,
released 3 years ago. Also our 1997 and 2OOO Cuvee 225
(refers to the number of liters in a barrel) is 5O%
barrel-aged. But my personal favorite is the Blanc de Blanc;
I’d take a case to that desert island. I love the crispness,
freshness, fruit. Just love it!!