Top Champagne Grower Visits Australia

Charles Fourny, fifth generation family member of Champagne Veuve Fourny & Fils visited Australia this week.

Hosted at the iconic Cafe Sydney, Charles Fourny met with a group of media to discuss the relationship between distributor, De Bortoli Wines and his family, as well as Veuve Fourny’s unique approach to producing Champagne.

Situated in the Cote des Blancs, the Fourny family have been active members of the Champagne industry since 1856. Today the business is run by Charles and his brother Emmanuel, together with their mother, Madame Fourny.

Champagne Veuve Fourny & Fils is actually among the smallest producers in Champagne, but since partnering with De Bortoli Wines, its sales have grown tenfold in Australia.

Charles Fourny said it is De Bortoli’s shared philosophy that has made the companies’ relationship so effective in this market.

“Australia is an important market for us in terms of volume and De Bortoli is important to the way we do business here. My family and De Bortoli share the same ideology and I believe that is critical to our future in Australia,” Fourny said.

“Step-by-step, De Bortoli is investing more and more into communicating our story and what makes our house different, which is important because we are too small to do that by ourselves.”

An approach not taken by any other of the producers in Champagne, Veuve Fourny makes its Champagnes from individual plots on the vineyard, including the famous Clos Notre Dame, subdivided by the family a number of years ago.

“By doing this, we can ensure that the pure nuances and micro climate of each site are expressed in the Champagnes, and because of this, each cuvee in our house expresses an individual part of the vineyard,” Fourny said. “This approach makes us very different to other family Champagne houses in the region.”

A few days before his arrival in Australia, Fourny and family were wrapping up the 2015 vintage, which he said was “outstanding”. “We think for many years to come we will say - ‘don’t forget 2015′”. So be sure to keep an eye out for the house’s new releases next year, available through De Bortoli Wines.

The Champagnes currently available in Australia include the Veuve Fourny Blanc de Blancs Brut Vertus Premier Cru ($45.15), Veuve Fourny Grande Reserve Brut Vertus Premier Cru ($45.15), Cuvee ‘R’ de Veuve Fourny Extra Brut ($62.95), Veuve Fourny Blanc de Blancs Millesime 2008 ($70.56) and Veuve Fourny Clos Notre Dame Millesime 2005 ($160).

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