Etienne Chéré

Courjeonnet, Champagne, France The Chérés have been father-and-son viticulteurs since the late 19th century, working on vineyards situated on the southerly slopes of the Côtes de Blancs. The vineyard exposition is particularly beneficial to the cultivation of vines. Abundant sunshine in a cool area like Champagne is a blessing; their grapes easily reach ripeness in even the most difficult years. Unlike the larger, more grandiose houses of Champagne, which purchase quantities of grapes from small producers and put them into a blend consistent with the “house style,” the grower Champagne movement puts the focus on Champagne as wine, a substance that should express its terroir. Additionally, large Champagne houses will produce millions of bottles per year, while the average independent Champagne grower will only produce a few thousand. Chéré was one of the trailblazers in this movement and has been a récoltant-manipulant since the 1950s. With an independent streak that went against the common thinking of his time (after all, when you sold your grapes to the Big Guys, they absorbed all the cost and risks in production), Etienne creates his own Champagnes, imprinted with the chalk and limestone outcroppings of his vineyard. Philosophically, Chéré follows the “lutte raisonée,” supporting respect of the environment in all winemaking processes.