The wine industry has often been accused of lacking creativity when it comes to marketing, but leave it to a Champagne house to break the trend. With a clever linkage to the concept of ‘mindfulness’ combined with a glass of bubbles, Champagne Henriot has created a 10 minute experience that changes the way consumers and trade interact with wine.
Amelie Derrieux- Sable, Director of Marketing at Maisons & Domaines Henriot, describes the rationale beyond the innovative marketing concept. “We were searching for a way to share the Champagne Henriot story in a differentiating and authentic way. We also wanted to disrupt sommeliers and wine aficionados in their approach of tasting– which is usually intellectual.”
The Creative Brainstorming Process at Henriot
So the marketing team began with a focus on the two guiding pillars of the House of Champagne Henriot – time and light. Time, in that it has taken generations to achieve their distinctive house style, and they age their champagnes longer than most other houses – 4 to 5 years for the NV Blanc de Blancs verses 18 months, as is more common. Furthermore, their vintage champagnes are aged for 10 years before release. Light refers to their focus on chardonnay from which they ‘transform nature into pure light.’
These pillars of time and light eventually brought them to the concept of mindfulness. Mindfulness is focusing on the present moment – the time connection – while acknowledging body sensations, emotions and thoughts – bringing light to the moment.
The next step was finding an expert to assist them in developing a mindful meditation with a glass of champagne. Thus the partnership with Dr. Elisha Goldstein, the Founder of the Mindful Living Collective, was established. The result was so successful, that Champagne Henriot trade-marked the experience as a “Medi-Tasting.” They have been using it with both the wine trade and consumers for the past several years in face-to-face settings, as well as virtually during the Covid pandemic.
How the “Medi-Tasting” Works
The experience is usually limited to 25 people or less, and begins with a 5 minute introduction of Champagne Henriot by a brand representative. Then Elisha walks the guests through the 10 minute meditation tasting process. Afterwards guests are invited to comment on their experience for about 10 minutes. The session concludes with a 5 minute expansion on special attributes of Henriot champagne.
Elisha Goldstein explains that the medi-tasting is based on the STOP technique. “The S stands for stop everything that you’re doing, the T for take a breath, the O for observe, and the P for proceed. For the trade this is very important, because if you come in from a stressful place to taste wine, it will impact how you taste. Therefore, you stop, take a deep breath, and then immerse yourself in mindful tasting.”
What is unique about the tasting is that it focuses on all five senses and emotions, rather than just the three senses of sight, smell and taste, as in most analytical wine tastings.
1) For sight, it is looking at the wine to appreciate the color and size of the bubbles, but also the emotions that the bubbles create.
2) For touch, it is using your hand to feel the part of the glass where it embraces the wine. It is cool or slightly warm? Later when your lips touch the edge of the glass before you sip, how does it feel? Is it smooth? Is there a tickle from the bubbles? Pause to appreciate what you will taste.
3) For smell, it goes beyond just documenting the aromas that rise from the wine, but moves onto the emotions that the smells bring. For example, the lemon, green apple, and mineral notes may be familiar, but the small of butter croissant in the wine may remind you of a peaceful breakfast at French café.
4) For sound, hold the glass up to your ear. Can you hear the harmony of the dancing bubbles, the hiss and the gentle pop? How does this make you feel?
5) For taste, it goes beyond just documenting the flavors and finish of the wine, but to think about all of the hands that went into making the wine – tending the vineyards, harvesting the grapes, pressing, blending, aging, and transporting it across land and oceans to your glass.
6) For finish, enjoy the lingering taste of wine in your mouth after swallowing. How do you feel, and what does the holistic experience mean?
The Results of Medi-Tasting To Date
According to Derrieux- Sable, the medi-tastings have been very successful. “Overall, both trade and consumers were enthusiastic and curious about the experience, noting that it’s unlike anything they’ve done before. The tastings have also become very interactive, and the environment allows for guests to take the time to appreciate each element of the wine which is uncommon when tasting wines for work or enjoying wine with a meal.”
When asked if any other wineries had come up with a similar concept, the answer was no. The closest was ‘Yoga & Wine Tasting’ or ‘Forest-Bathing in the Vineyard.’ Mindful eating is also related to this concept, but with food instead of champagne.
The company plans to continue the medi-tastings and make them available to everyone. “Since launching Medi-Tasting in 2018,” report Derrieux- Sable, “we have developed an interactive video with Elisha Goldstein to allow consumers to practice at home. Medi-Tasting will continue to embody Champagne Henriot’s core principle of ‘time’, which starts with the family’s 200 years of independence and heritage, the time it takes to age the champagnes, and the time to learn and implement sustainable practices in the vineyards.”