Gremillet Champagne is enjoyed by ambassadors from all over the world
The Gremillet house promises us vibrant champagnes, the kind that grace embassies and have traveled the world many times over! Jean-Christophe Gremillet transitioned from the world of finance to the world of wine. Now cellar master, he eloquently recounts his journey and choices. From finance to wine, is it really just a small step?
Winemaker: a fascinating profession inherited from Lulu Gremillet
My grandmother planted the first vines and my parents developed the business in the early 80s. I was young – but with only 19 years between my parents and me – I remember their will, their tenacity to succeed in building the house.
After working in finance for a few years, I decided to join them in 2003 to contribute my part. It's a fascinating and varied profession: from cultivating the vines to winemaking, from marketing to the satisfaction of discovering your product in all four corners of the world… It's certainly much more exciting, vibrant, and enriching than the world of finance.
A farm manager today must be a generalist: a Champagne producer must not only cultivate the vines and make their wine, they must also finance their stock, manage the people, market their product and sell it.
Today, my parents, my sister, my brother-in-law, my wife, and I share the responsibilities. But like any family business , we often have to be involved in everything. Major decisions are made together, and day-to-day tasks are handled by each of us.
Jean-Christophe Gremillet: from the world of finance to the world of wine
With a background in finance, I completed a Master's degree in Wines and Spirits at ESC Dijon. We came from different backgrounds and different countries, but shared a common passion: WINE. Wine is universal; it's always a moment of sharing and conviviality. We can debate a wine, prefer one appellation to another, one color to another—it remains subjective and dynamic, and that's what makes it so fascinating.
My meeting with my consulting oenologist more than ten years ago also left a lasting impression. He is a cultured man, a first-rate taster who, 40 years ago, worked all over the world. With him, you learn that it's the sum of the small details that makes the difference and that a great wine is never the result of chance.
Our favorite wines from the estate:
Gremillet Champagne on diplomatic tables
When my father started selling Champagne , he had a second job (he was also an EDF employee). He didn't sleep much, so at night he would call embassies, taking into account the time differences. I remember very well the different colored folders on his desk marked +5, +8, -5, -8, which indicated the time differences. It's a nice story to tell now, but it took a lot of work.
Jean-Christophe Gremillet's favorites, winemaker at the Gremillet Champagne house
Choosing between a red and a white wine, between a Musigny Grand Cru and a Corton-Charlemagne , is difficult; it's like having to choose between your father and your mother. If I had to choose just one wine, it would be a 1990 Yquem for its rarity and the thrill it gave me!
My favorite time of year: The harvest, of course, but also and especially the blending. It's at this time that we decide on the subtle marriage between the different grape varieties and the different vintages. We have to project ourselves into the future to imagine the evolution and potential of the blended wine.
Jean-Christophe Gremillet's outburst
I can't stand the term "value for money." We should all be talking about "pleasure-price ratio": each wine has its place depending on the time of day/year, and we all adjust our budget according to the moments we're going to/want to experience. We must therefore accept that there are wines at all price points and that each wine is meant to be enjoyed at different times.
One word to describe Gremillet champagne?
There are many: freshness, vibrancy, elegance, but I would focus on vibrancy.
Shamini (The Grapes)
Les dernières nouveautés
Les cuvées fraîchement arrivées en cave
