Reims, June 2022
Thibault Marronnier, in charge of the North America territory, and Franck Coste, CEO of Champagne Chanoine Frères 1730, are winding up a tour of the Eastern USA.
The pair were visiting stores in the Total Wine chain — a historical partner of the House. With 220 sales outlets in 27 states, Total Wine is the US leader among chain stores specializing in wines and spirits.
Total Wine features the Tsarine Premium Brut, Rosé Brut, Orium Extra-Brut, and Blanc de Blancs champagnes as well as the Tzarina and Tsarine by Adriana prestige cuvées.
The trip included visits to a dozen Total Wine stores in Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. At each stop, Franck Coste hosted tasting sessions to familiarize the Total Wine teams with several Tsarine cuvées, including the new Blanc de Blancs.
“— All the Total Wine stores are remarkably well organized, and the wines — including the champagnes, of course — are extremely well presented.
The choice is very wide. The Total Wine stores also offer a range of services — for example inviting their customers to tastings held in purpose-built rooms fitted with tasting counters and screens for presentations.
Staff on the sales floor are highly professional and well trained in wine arts and science. They act as advisers to a US clientele who are clearly thirsting for information and advice.
I had the pleasure of hosting a master class for the wine managers, champagne managers, and sales staff at each outlet we visited.
I was impressed by the level of their technical and oenological knowledge and the pertinence of their comments at the different phases of the tasting.
The teams know the Tsarine champagnes well and are actively participating in the success of Tsarine Premium. I want to take this opportunity to thank Total Wine, and especially Nicole and Brian, for the warm welcome we were given, and send warmest greetings to all the people I had the pleasure of meeting and whose quality and professionalism impressed me so much.”
