At the Piper-Heidsieck launch at Roxxy Beach, joined by two of the promo girls, were (from left) Marketing Manager Alphonso Mieses, Brand Manager for the Caribbean and Latin America Philippe Bourrat, CC1 General Manager Gina Phelipa, Operations Manager Miguel Leon, and CC1 Wine Division Manager Damien Moreau. (Robert Luckock photo)
The lipstick wine cooler. (Robert Luckock photo)
Caribbean and Latin America Brand Manager Philippe Bourrat raises a glass to toast the new Piper- Heidsieck champagne. (Robert Luckock photo)
SIMPSON BAY–A ceremony organised by distributor CC1 was held at Roxxy Beach on Friday evening for the launch on the island of newly-branded Piper-Heidsieck champagne. Invited guests included representatives of hotels, restaurants, major supermarkets and liquor stores.
Regional Commercial Manager and Piper-Heidsieck Brand Manager for the Caribbean and Latin America Philippe Bourrat came especially to St. Maarten for re-discovery of the champagne which he said had “somewhat disappeared on the island,” but is now under new ownership and re-worked with a new recipe for quality and image.
“The image of the brand has now changed with quality and positioning so we feel confident to launch it in the markets worldwide,” Bourrat said. “I’m happy to be back here after five years and to be with a good partner in CC1. We are back in a big way in the Caribbean. The only markets we are missing are the Bahamas and Jamaica.”
CC1 Wine Division Manager Damien Moreau and General Manager Gina Phelipa were both present. The launch and tasting were for three of the brands: Cuvée Brut, Brut de Rosé and Demi-Sec French Riviera. Another brand, the prestigious Rare Champagne, was re-released last year. Only 11 vintages have been released since 1976.
“Basically, we have upgraded our portfolio with good brands and Piper-Heidsieck has become the top champagne brand for quality restaurants and high-end clubs,” explained Moreau. “We’ve been getting tremendous feedback from consumers. Our wine division with Piper-Heidsieck is now CC1’s premium flagship.
“What I like about the image of Piper-Heidsieck is the creativity behind the brand. It’s not only high end for the gastronomy market, but everyone can have fun drinking this champagne.”
The creativity and fun side of the brand was reflected in the accessories – the pink lipstick wine cooler, another cooler in the shape of an ice cream cone, and a pink handbag for a bottle and two glasses.
Bourrat gave guests some interesting facts from the 230-year history of Piper-Heidsieck founded in 1785. Queen Marie Antoinette was the champagne’s first ambassador. In 1885, for the 100th anniversary, Carl-Pierre Fabergé crafted a champagne bottle made of diamonds, gold and lapis lazuli valued at more than a million euros.
The champagne house has also enjoyed collaborations with fashion designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Christian Louboutin. In 2010 Christian Louboutin was asked to turn fantasy into reality, recreating the pledge of true love by drinking champagne from a woman’s high-heel shoe, in an innovative gift package.
In the 1960s another ambassador, Marilyn Monroe, famously declared she “goes to sleep with a drop of Chanel No.5 and wakes up with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck because it warms my body up.”
Piper-Heidsieck has been the exclusive champagne for the annual Oscars ceremony since 2015. But the breaking news of the evening was the Wine Spectator announcement on November 19, 2019, that Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut is the only champagne featured in its top 100 list of wines for 2019. It is also the most awarded champagne house of the century with more than 300 awards and more than 100 gold medals.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92741-piper-heidsieck-champagne-regains-its-sparkle-at-roxxy-launch-ceremony
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