Louna Teixeira: a passion for Champagne
09/29/2022
While this summer has been hot and dry in France, the Champagne industry is expecting an exceptional 2022 harvest, both in terms of quality and production. A student from IÉSEG has been cultivating this passion for Champagne since she was a child: we met Louna TEIXEIRA from Reims, a student in the major in International Negotiation and Business Development of the Grande École program’s Master cycle, and she explains us why.
©Louna Teixeira
Where did this passion for Champagne come from and how does it translate into your life?
It is my environment that made this passion arise. I was born in Reims and my father is a merchant. He introduced me to many people who work in the Champagne industry. It is by working with my father and listening to all these people that I was immersed in this universe which I immediately liked very much. Champagne is a magnificent craft that is a real regional wealth. Before I became interested in Champagne, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in life. My growing interest in Champagne led me to the industry. So, I started working in the vineyards, doing the harvest, then I worked in a very welcoming Champagne house, and finally, this summer I worked in a factory for the packaging and labeling of bottles… I even chose to focus my thesis topic on the subject.
Can you tell us a little more about your thesis topic?
I decided to focus on the relationship between the vineyard and the trade in Champagne. When we talk about vineyards, we are talking about winegrowers and winemakers, those who grow the grapes and own 90% of the land. They are the ones who sell grapes to the Champagne houses (the traders) who generally do not have enough grapes to satisfy their production and shipping of bottles. The Champagne houses therefore buy grapes from the winegrowers and winemakers and it is this relationship that I am very interested in. Through the thesis, I try to know more about the course of these negotiations: how the contracting is done, what are the important points in these relationships, are they relationships of dependence, of competition? Until then, I had a rather blurred vision of all this. So I found a thesis supervisor who helped me to work on the subject.
What have you learned from your research so far?
Thanks to the interviews I conducted, I learned how Champagne houses and winemakers manage to work together. They help each other a lot and communicate a lot with each other. I also learned the importance of long-term relationships for these actors of the Champagne region. As an example, one house I interviewed told me that they have been working with the same grape supplier for 63 years. The relationship is friendly and familial.
©Louna Teixeira
Do you think Champagne is a way of promoting France abroad?
Yes, of course it is. Champagne is a way to show the influence of France thanks to our cultural richness. Besides, it seems sometimes that foreigners are more interested in Champagne than we French are whereas we are immersed in the environment. When I was part of the School’s International Club, I was friend with Argentinians and Mexicans who immediately suggested that I organize a trip to Reims for international students. This shows the interest of foreigners in this field.
As Jean-Jacques Guerlain, founder of the Colbert Committee, said: “The French art of living is expressed through the spectacle of our objects, external signs of our civilization, shaped by the culture of our workforce and the inspiration of our creators.” Champagne is a way to bring conviviality to events, it is also a way to share around discussions, whether professional or informal. Champagne brings people together. I think that it is a distinctive sign that allows France to shine abroad.
Did IÉSEG help you in your current and future development in the Champagne industry?
The School has helped me a lot because it pushes us to turn towards what we really love and to become who we really are. We are led to develop what we love. I was able to see for myself the evolution between my first year at IÉSEG and today. The Career program really helped me to find the Master’s degree that best suited me. During this Master’s program, I had a negotiation course that allowed me to revisit some of the issues I had encountered during my internship. The professor helped me to find the keys to negotiation for certain situations. It was very interesting. Moreover, an IÉSEG alumni who became a skills assessment coach intervened during the Career Week and helped us shape a speech that was really ours and really represented our objectives. She also helped us to find interesting contacts for each of us, she explained us how to turn some emails to get in touch with former IÉSEG students. This week helped me to find myself and to know what I want in life.