French dynasty behind Taittinger champagne split over alcohol-free bubbly

The family behind the Taittinger champagne dynasty are at crossed swords over one particularly fizzy issue: alcohol-free bubbly.

Divisions within the champagne empire may have bubbled over about venturing into the burgeoning alcohol-free market - culminating with the great-grandson of the brand’s founder partnering with Taittinger rivals Moët Hennessy.

The family’s honorary chairman, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, has vowed to never make an alcohol free version of the drink, telling The Telegraph last week: “Alcohol is alcohol. When we go to alcohol, it’s because we don’t want to drink without alcohol. If you don’t want to pray, don’t go to church.”

But Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger, a descendant of the founder of Champagne Taittinger, is doing just that – and has won the backing of the parent company of arch rivals Moët & Chandon.

Frerejean-Taittinger is the Chief Executive of French Bloom, an alcohol-free sparkling wine brand founded in 2019 and launched in 2021 by his wife Maggie and her friend Constance Jablonski.

Moët Hennessy, which also owns Krug and Veuve Clicquot, took a minority stake in drinks company this week, which is stocked in the likes of Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges.

Upon announcing the partnership, Ms Frerejean-Taittinger and Ms Jablonski said they had “found a partner who shares our vision for the future of the alcohol-free category and our commitment to expanding inviting moments of togetherness,” in Moët Hennessy.

Philippe Schaus, CEO of Moët Hennessy, said the investment “aligns with Moët Hennessy’s key strategic initiatives, demonstrating our commitment to offering high-quality alcohol-free choices to consumers who moderate their alcohol intake,” as he praised the French Bloom team’s “exceptional innovation and visionary leadership”.

Ms Frerejean-Taittinger and her long-time friend Constance Jablonski came up with the idea for the brand in 2019 whilst Ms Frerejean-Taittinger and the pair noticed the lack of alcohol-free options at social gathering. Mr Frerejean-Taittinger joined later as a chief executive.

Costing up to £109 a bottle, the non alcoholic sparkling wines use a “a visionary winemaking and dealcoholization process” to produce their beverage with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.

Despite it being at odds with family ties, the brand insists it facilitates rather than stifles “moments of pleasure” between family, with its website reading: “French Bloom reinvents the codes of conviviality for moments of pleasure shared between everyone - family and friends from all walks of life.

“Made from organic Chardonnay wines and Organic Pinot Noir wines that have been dealcoholized, our alcohol-free French Sparkling cuvées embody the incomparable intersection of French tradition and innovation.”