CEO Vitalie Taittinger Leads Taittinger Champagne With Grace, Vision And Balance

Vitalie Taittinger is a powerful leader in Champagne. As President and CEO of the 3rd oldest Champagne House, established in 1734, Vitalie oversees 200+ employees and the production of around 6 million bottles of Taittinger Champagne annually, exported to over 130 countries.

She is also the mother of four children and an avid supporter of the arts and local charities. But she oversees the Taittinger empire with grace, vision and a strong sense of work/life balance. So how does she accomplish this?

“We are not just a family business – it is much more than that. Champagne is in our hearts, linked to nature, people, culture and art. It is part of the joy we have every day,” she told me recently during a Zoom interview.

As a family business, Vitalie explained that her brother, Clovis Taittinger, is the General Manager and leads the sales division, and her father, Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger is the Honorary Chairman. The family business is woven into their lives and could be overwhelming for some people, but Vitalie has managed to integrate everything with calm and grace.

“We have a strong sense of balance between family and work,” she explained. “I have a great team supporting me, and it is important to remember that if we want to be sustainable as a business, we need balance for all of the team.”

She mentions that when she comes home from work in the evenings, she disconnects from the day’s stresses. “I spend time with my children, listen to music, play my guitar, or share an aperitif with my husband. It is a time of the day that is totally necessary… to go back to my roots,” she states.

Champagne Taittinger Style Rooted in Lightness and Naturalness

Indeed the style of Taittinger is rooted in the concepts of lightness and naturalness. Vitalie’s great-grandfather, Pierre Taittinger, purchased the historic Château de la Marquetterie (built 1734) and its vineyards outside of Epernay in 1915. Recognizing the changing tastes in cuisine and beverages after WWI, he saw an opportunity to replant the vineyards and craft a new style of Champagne.

At that time most Champagne was sweeter and more full-bodied to match the rich French cuisine covered in heavy sauces. But tastes were changing, and consumers wanted lighter and more natural food and wine.

“He wanted to make champagne that is light and delicate,” reported Vitalie. “So chardonnay is the most precise grape for this, so we planted more chardonnay and less pinot noir than other estates.”

Today the Taittingers own 288 hectares of vineyards, of which 40% of the grapes are selected for their champagnes while the remaining harvest is sold. They are also implementing sustainable farming practices and reducing the amount of additives in the vineyards – something that is challenging in a region that is often beset by extreme weather events, such as frost, too much rain, powdery mildew and hail storms.

“Father rebought the company in 2006 and stopped the pesticides in the vineyards,” explained Vitalie. (The estate was briefly sold to Starwood Capital in 2005, but repurchased by the family the following year).

“Sustainability is a journey, and everyone is trying to be sustainable in Champagne now. Some are at the end and others at the beginning,” she added.

Tasting The Wines of Champagne Taittinger

The family produces five lines of champagne:

1. Taittinger Non-Vintage Blanc and Rose
2. Taittinger Prélude Grand Cru – all estate grapes from top vineyards
3. Millésimée’ Vintage – only crafted in the very best years
4. Nocture Blanc, Rose and Demi-Sec: sweeter styles of Champagne
5. Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs – the flagship vintage wine, made in the light, fresh and elegant style envisioned by the founder.

Vitalie, who is a trained artist, having studied illustration and graphic art at the Emile Cohl School of Design in Lyon, compares the craft of blending champagne as similar to art.

“We play with a palate, like an artist, of different crus, grapes, and colors to create the blend. It is a service of emotion, and each champagne is a different emotion,” she said.

I was able to taste both of the non-vintage wines and the Comtes, all of which can be found in fine wine shops, restaurants, and online. The Taittinger Brut Reserve ($65) is a classic and approachable wine with ripe green apple, pear, and a twist of lemon and biscuit notes. Taittinger Brut Prestige Rose ($75) is quite different, with an explosive fruity palate of ripe cherries, strawberries and a hint of tart rhubarb on the finish. Both wines are medium-bodied with soft silky bubbles and a refreshing finish.

“We describe the style of our non-vintage wines as fresh, dynamic and generous,” explained Vitalie. “You feel the body of the wine. It is an emotion of happiness to share with family and friends. Like a kiss of pleasure.”

The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs ($250) is a completely different creature. I sampled the 2012 vintage and found it to be filled with lightness, elegance and great complexity. The nose enchants with toasted almonds, lemon, and a hint of ginger, which carries through on the palate with delicate bubbles, chalk, lemon pith, and croissant. It has a very long, refreshing, and concentrated finish, and seems to grow in complexity with each taste.

Vitalie describes it as “ an emotion of time, where with each sip you discover the dimension of the wine. Your palate is enchanted, and you have the impression you are flying.”

Vitalie’s Vision of the Future of Champagne Taittinger

So what’s ahead for Champagne Taittinger? Vitalie admits that she spends her work days engrossed in strategic issues, development projects, and meetings with customers, distributors, importers and journalists.

“I try to remain strategic in my thinking and not get buried in the details while focusing on how to improve management to help our employees be happier and give them career growth,” she reports.

She is also involved in the blending process for the champagnes, working with the cellar team to taste the different reserve and new wines. But being faithful to existing customers is one of her most important obligations.

“After COVID we had many opportunities to make deals with big companies, but we gave priority to our existing customers. We always want to respect the people we are working with” she says.

When asked about the future, she identified five main tenants the company is focusing on:

1. Continuous Product Improvement and Innovation: “Always improving the elaboration of our cuvees – this must be the main focus because it is the reason we are here.”
2. Consumer Engagement and Experiences: “To help consumers enjoy our champagne, and to enlarge the experience of our House, for example, the new Taittinger restaurant we are opening.” Called Polychrome, it is located in Reims, France, and is designed to allow wine tourists to learn how to pair different cuisines with champagne.
3. Cultural Expansion: “To be more part of the culture in France, and to open champagne experience in other cities to be more deeply emerged in the culture.” For example, Taittinger is the first Champagne House to plant vineyards in England and partner with Patrick McGrath to open Domaine St-Evremond, one hour south of London. They also own Domaine Carneros in Napa Valley.
4. Charity and Society Projects: Taittinger has established a charitable foundation, Philanthropic ArsNova, that supports art, cooking, music and heritage. They also frequently donate champagne to support various charities, and established the ArsNova International Culinary Prize over 50 years ago.
5. Football (FIFA) World Cup Support: Taittinger has announced that their collaboration with FIFA will continue through 2030, where they are the official champagne of FIFA. “Clovis loves soccer, so he is leading this project. We are connected by the generosity of the FIFA brand and the people working there. Football gives people a pure moment of joy and energy.”

Though not part of this interview, Clovis Taittinger has a favorite quote that is worth sharing and a fitting conclusion to the article: “Champagne is the best way of saying ‘I love you’ in any language,” Clovis Taittinger.