Photo courtesy of Telmont Champagne

You could say that fighting for what is right comes naturally to Telmont Champagne.

The acclaimed house was founded in 1912 by Henri Lhôpitel, one of the leaders of the 1911 Champagne Riots, who battled to uphold the region’s high quality standards. Four generations later, as Telmont Champagne enters the Canadian market, the fight for excellence has a new aim: sustainability.

“We come to Canada with humility,” says Telmont’s CEO Ludovic du Plessis. “Canada is a land of nature lovers, and we believe Canadian bubble lovers will celebrate not only the taste of Telmont, but also the values we carry. In the name of Mother Nature!”

“In the name of Mother Nature” is no mere slogan. It’s the name of Telmont’s ambitious project to create the highest-quality Champagne while also becoming the first climate-positive Champagne house by 2030 and Net Positive by 2050.

Among its many initiatives, Telmont worked closely with glassmaker Verallia to develop the lightest bottle in Champagne—at only 800 grams, it’s 35 grams lighter than the standard. “We realized that our bottles are the main source of our carbon emissions … the less glass we use, the less CO₂ is emitted,” says du Plessis.

But lightweight bottles are just part of the fight. The bigger battle is against climate change.

“Climate change threatens our world, our lives and our terroir. Therefore, embracing sustainability is not really a choice, it’s just common sense,” says du Plessis.

Already average temperatures in Champagne have risen by 1.1°C. “We see harvests coming earlier, grapes ripening faster, acidity levels shifting. Frosts, droughts and hailstorms are more frequent and more violent. The very balance that gives Champagne its unique identity is under threat,” says du Plessis.

In response, Telmont is well on its way to converting all its vines to organic and regenerative viticulture and encourages consumers to seek out wines produced with organic grapes.

“Savour each glass for its quality, but also for the respect it shows to nature,” he says. “See for yourself how vibrant, radiant, full of life and energy are organic Champagne cuvées—I call them the ‘happy wines.’ ”

Vitis Magazine

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