Stories Behind The Fizz Of Champagnes — An Interview With Pauline, Co-Founder Of Bonjour Bubbles
The end of summer spells harvest season for most fruit growers and everyone down the supply chain, starting with the farmers, is heavily dependent on what is available from the orchards. Apples can be turned into juice or jam, and in Champagne, France, grapes are harvested to begin their fermentation process, steeped in tradition and proudly upheld by Grower families, to become Champagne.
One Singaporean who has developed a deep appreciation for this beautiful inter-dependence of nature and nurture is Pauline Tan, co-founder of Bonjour Bubbles. Is she a grower? No, but she definitely has placed growing consumer knowledge of these families’ legacies at the forefront of her business. Bonjour Bubbles specialises in sourcing Champagnes “directly from boutique and cult growers” to help tasters experience “the best of Grower Champagnes”.
Having relocated to Bahrain a few months ago, Pauline indulged us with an interview to talk about how Bonjour Bubbles just fizzes differently.
WW: Congratulations on moving to Bahrain! We had the pleasure of speaking with you from your new home. How have you adjusted to this new chapter of your life?
Pauline: It has been an amazing time of change since late 2020 till now and I think the move to Bahrain is just about the icing on the cake! Having spent my entire life in Singapore, it is really wonderful to be exposed to a completely new culture and landscape here. Bahrain, as an island state, is similar to Singapore in many ways such as the size and the diversity. I am excited to get to meet more locals, learn more about the food and beverage scene and explore the region when time allows!
WW: Let’s talk about Champagne (from Champagne). We’ve noticed how your eyes light up whenever this word comes up. As founder of Bonjour Bubbles, you’ve been working hard at trying to shift the conversation from champagnes being closely associated with expensive brunches to champagnes for just about any day. Could you share more about your efforts?
Pauline: Bonjour Bubbles started out with the aim to be more than just about selling and profits. Our main passion is to educate and inform consumers about the conversation surrounding Champagne, as a beverage and as a destination/place, and more so about the people who work hard to produce them.
On our Instagram page, you will find resources such as videos, images that we hope will allow consumers to understand more about the process to make this wine, bring them closer to the producers and the interesting fun facts. It’s not all pretty images, and “marketing speak”, as we want our followers to see the real side of the region, and fall in love with that “farmer” side of the winemaking process, winemakers and taste the differences for themselves before they decide the style of Champagne they like best.
…we want our followers to see the real side of the region, and fall in love with that “farmer” side of the winemaking process(…)
Pauline with Emmanuel Brochet, Grower. Source: Pauline Tan
WW: You once mentioned that it was the individual growers’ stories that got you working on Bonjour Bubbles in the first place. Has any story in particular resonated with you the deepest?
Pauline: Bonjour Bubbles focuses only on grower Champagnes, and each of them is so unique that it would be impossible to pick a favourite. I would say a common theme for most of them is the family ties that bind, and we know in the Asian culture, family plays a major role in our lives – and it is very similar in the Champagne region (in spite of common belief that Europeans lead independent lives from their families).
Many of the young producers from the new generation have the option to work for a much bigger Chateau, or even a corporate job in a more comfortable environment, but however choose to continue their family legacy by working in the vineyards producing their own Champagnes. And as we witnessed from visiting the region, it is a really labor-intensive job as there are no fixed hours or days. Some of them work every day, depending on the weather or other factors. It is very admirable that this is their way of life, working with the family and learning to integrate their lives in the best ways possible whilst building their own vision and growth for their Champagnes. This, for me, is very admirable as we know how tough it can be.
WW: How do you envision Bonjour Bubbles’ own brand story to develop over time?
Pauline: Bonjour Bubbles is but a small part of the puzzle in consumer Champagne education and awareness. We see ourselves to continue to work with importers and like-minded individuals to build a passionate pool of Champagne consumers in Singapore. Hopefully in time to come, we will become a common space for sharing information, and even bottles for this beverage that we love and have come to enjoy as an everyday wine.
WW: Your selection of Champagnes is guided by a single desire to help people “experience the best of Grower Champagnes” from the Champagne region. How do you decide which growers to work with?
Pauline: Majority of the growers we work with are very hands-on, being present in the wine production from start to end. We believe that when you have to put your name on the label, it makes a difference in the way you would choose to farm and nurture your vines. This is what differentiates Grower Champagnes to the more commercial houses.
The Champagne bundles on our website are curated according to the number of bottles a customer would like to taste. There are options for 2, 3 or 6 bottles and each one is unique and handpicked by us from the different importers we work with.
There are 5 main regions for Champagne, so we try to have a good mix of differing regions and styles in each bundle. For example, in the Trio pack, we feature 3 growers from 3 different regions in Vallée de la Marne to the Côte des Bars. Customers can taste the differences between a classic Champenois Blend, one that is made of 100% Chardonnay, and one that is 100% Meunier.
A vineyard in Champagne, France. Source: Pauline Tan
WW: Our brands’ philosophies are quite similar: we work with small, family-run orchards (or vineyards) that practice sustainable agriculture. How do you think sustainability will influence the way businesses operate and who consumers choose to purchase from?
Pauline: We can see that climate change has had a real impact on the vineyards and the fruit. This year, when we visited Champagne, I would say all the growers had a common sigh when we asked them how the year is going. They have never seen this much rainfall, or extremities in the weather within a short period as this year.
Consumers probably wouldn’t feel the real impact until at least a few years later, perhaps when production numbers fall (resulting in higher prices) or when they start to observe changes in consumption behaviour amongst their own social circles.
As affluence grows, so will consumers’ appetite for better produce and better products. Today, more and more people eat to nourish their bodies hence I believe sustainable practices will definitely be a key deciding factor in consumer buying behaviour.
WW: We ask everyone from our “WOLF + WALD Founder Stories” series this question — what advice would you give to your younger self before embarking on this venture?
Pauline: I’d love to be cliché and say that it’s never too early to start on an idea you truly believe in. However, I’m a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. The culmination of experiences all add up to the people that we are today, hence I would just say this – enjoy every moment of your life, live it to the fullest and never be afraid to rise to a challenge or ask for the recognition you believe you truly deserve.
Keen to go on a tasting journey with Bonjour Bubbles or just curious to find out more about Grower Champagnes? Tap any of the links below!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonjour.bubbles/?hl=en
Website: https://bonjourbubbles.com/
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