Champagne Delavenne – Interview With Susan Adda

Glass of Bubbly got the opportunity to speak with Susan Adda, the wonderful and skilled Export Sales and Marketing Manager at Champagne Delavenne, she shared with us a little about herself, her journey into the wine industry, the future of Champagne Delavenne and spoke about the range at Delavenne, that she helps export to people all around the world.

It’s Great To Speak With You, Can You Tell Us A Little About Yourself & How Your Journey Into The Champagne Industry Began?

“Thank you for inviting me, Oliver! I was born in Los Angeles and moved to France about 24 years ago. I spent about 10 years in Paris in the Art World as a curator, organizing exhibitions and promoting artists. At one point I even found myself at the Cannes Film Festival with Tibetan Monks to promote a film about the Dalai Lama!

When we moved to Reims, I began my journey toward the Champagne World. From there I went back to Los Angeles and worked as a sales rep. for an importer with a European wine portfolio, including some well known Grower Champagne Houses and supplemented my knowledge base with the WSET course.

Along the way, my husband moved us from Reims to Bouzy, one of the Grand Cru villages in the Montagne de Reims. I was invited by one of the Grower Houses to a tasting that had been organized by the Echevins de Bouzy, on a peniche cruise along the Seine. This was in 2016, I believe…There I briefly met Jean-Christophe Delavenne, who as it turns out, is my neighbor across the street in Bouzy! Fairly quickly afterwards, Jean-Christophe asked to meet again, this time in Bouzy. He explained that their family’s Champagne had a faithful following of French clients, but that he and his wife Maelle were interested in evolving the brand and ready to actively export their Champagnes. Would I like to come on board? When I learned about his winemaking and philosophy, I understood that Champagne Delavenne was like a gem, just waiting to be discovered and that I could be proud to work with their family.”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Champagne? When It Was And What Kind Of Label It Was?

“Champagne was always part of my Art World activities. Taittinger sponsored an art exhibition that I had organized to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and subsequently invited me to participate in a film for France 3 featuring Vitalie Taittinger.

Admittedly, however, it wasn’t until my family moved to Reims that I was truly inspired by the Art of Champagne: I was immediately smitten by the passion and generosity of the people in Champagne, fascinated by all the beautiful artistic variations of wine that come from this region. I went on a deep dive, visiting and tasting with Houses and Vignerons from all over the Champagne, taking notes, filming, recording, studying…Every visit to every Grower Champagne House was incredibly impactful, like sharing an intimate moment of someone’s life.”

Can You Tell Us Which Country You Export The Most To And Which Country Would You Most Like To Introduce Champagne Delavenne To?

“The U.K. is a very important market for us, as well as Italy, South Korea, Japan, Denmark… Champagne Delavenne produces only 65-70,000 bottles per year currently, and is now sold in 20 countries.”

When It Comes To Pairing Champagne With Food, Do You Have Any Favourite Combinations That You Would Personally Recommend?

“I love what some may consider ‘unusual’ food pairings, perhaps less classic:

Japanese Curry with a hearty fruit forward Rosé or Indian Food and a Demi-Sec.

Toro (Fatty Tuna) Sushi and Rosé.

A Vegan Buddha Bowl with fried Tofu, edamame, avocado and a balanced Umami driven Nature Zero Dosage.

Avocado toast with a poached egg or Hummus and Falafel with a Zero Dosage.

A great pizza, when the dough has been proofed with patience, with a lightly garlic tomato base, mozzarella and roasted eggplant, with a Blanc de Noirs or Pinot forward blend.

Homemade, whole grain crusty bread and salted butter with a Blanc de Blancs is gorgeous!

Or smoked fish on dark bread, the Scandinavian way, with a low dosage Meunier from the Aube.

Burgers and Pinot!

Bouzy Rouge and aged hard cheese.”

What Future Plans Can Enthusiasts Of Champagne Delavenne Look Forward To In The Coming Years?

“Delavenne has always created energetic wines but now with Organic Certified Vineyards and the application of Dynamic Gem Waters (Lithotherapy) in the vineyards, the energic aromas and flavours are rising to up to another level! This Naturopathic practice of caring for his vines, a parallel to Biodynamics and promoting the principles of Bioenergetics, allows Jean Christophe Delavenne to communicate and accompany his vines, increasing their vitality. I am also enthusiastically waiting on a special cuvée from the 2022 harvest, a Grand Cru blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc.”

Can You Share With Us One Of The Most Memorable Experiences You’ve Enjoyed With A Glass of Bubbly?

“This may sound corny, but for me that’s the beauty of Champagne, sharing a glass makes every experience both joyful and memorable.”

Thank you, Susan, for sharing your story and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Susan Adda. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.