Flexibility, not Sobriety w/ Maggie & Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger, French Bloom

Pairing their need for a complex substitute for wine, for both pregnancy and professional network, Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger and friend Constance Jablonski enlisted Maggie’s husband, Champagne and Cognac winemaker Rodolphe to found French Bloom.  With four years of R&D prior to launch and constant refinement since, French Bloom aims to redefine the alcohol free premium sparkling wine space.  Maggie & Rodolphe delve into the creation of French Bloom, exploring its core markets, target customers, and the factors that have drawn them in.  

Detailed Show Notes: 

French Bloom overview

• 500k bottles (2024)
• Created a premium NA sparkling category
• Focused on sparkling to create complexity, can play with layers
• LVMH minority investor

4 years of R&D to get the desired quality

• De-alc process loses 60% aroma (was 90% in 2021), removes the backbone of the wine
• Built NA wine like Cognac, needs an undrinkable base wine
• Focused on the South of France (warmer, higher alcohol and body) for stronger wines, more body, Languedoc (more organic 40% vs 3-4% in Champagne)
• Limoux is the best place for NA sparkling, 300m high, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, a temple of natural wine
• Base wine is a bit oxidative, very acidified (used to add lemon juice, now naturally from wine), oaky (new oak, foudre), no sulfites, more tannin
• Create blends of different reserve wines

Extra Brut (0% abv, 0 sugar) has a base of 30% reserve wine from 2 years, aged in new oak barrels to give more structure

Better to make adjustments before de-alc vs after

Use voile to protect wine from oxidation (like Jura)

Flash pasteurization is used b/c no abv, sulfites to protect the wine

NA market

• Wine, beer, spirits - $10B (2020), $20B (2025), believes $30B (2030)
• Premium NA sparkling - $0.5B (2025), could double next 5 years
• Holy grail is quality NA still wine, not there yet
• Best distributors are wine / Champagne distributors, Thailand/Belgium have NA-focused distributors

French Bloom customers

• Biggest markets are Champagne markets (France, US #2, UK, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Germany)
• Younger (25-45), skew female, appreciates both alc and NA sparkling wine

Sells 20% DTC globally

2024 NielsenIQ study on NA purchase behavior - #1 driver - for conscious hosting (aligns w/ French Bloom’s ethos of not excluding anybody); #2 health & wellness; #3 driving

Marketing is digital first, leveraging Constance as a tastemaker and key opinion leader

More partnerships - Coachella, French Open, just signed F1 (10-year partnership, 1st ever official NA sparkling wine, Moet Chandon on podium; F1 new fans are 75% female, 50% Gen Z from Netflix series)

Most effective marketing has been the founding story and authentic storytelling (i.e., Maggie’s pregnancy, Constance’s need for moderation while networking)

Marketing through top-tier restaurants, hotels, and shops (e.g., Michelin-starred; became the #1 wine sold at Erewhon in 1 week)

Michelin-starred restaurants have 50% non-drinkers at lunch, 20% at dinner

No sugar, no additives, organic messaging plays well in California, less on the East Coast

Uses the term “alcohol free” vs. “non-alcoholic”

NA trends around NA wine & food pairing, including “moderate pairing” (wine & NA wine/drinks as part of pairing); mirrored cocktails (3 versions ofthe same cocktail - NA, low, full)

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