Blending in Caroline Fiot
Ruinart winemaker is crafting her fine marque at the exclusive French Champagne cellar.
THE ARTIST WHO HAS BEEN AN ENDURING INFLUENCE? Alphonse Mucha, the first artist Maison Ruinart was involved with. The Czech artist made the first advertisement [1] for Ruinart in 1896. CONTEMPORARY ART YOU MOST ADMIRE? Takashi Murakami’s work [3]. I visited his exhibition at Garage Museum in Moscow recently. He delivers strong historical messages beyond his anime and manga cartoon style. I also enjoyed the 2018 artistic collaboration of Maison Ruinart with Chinese artist Liu Bolin aka the Invisible Man [5]. He has a deep commitment to the environment and created eight stunning photographs with the Maison. DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING? Empty labelled bottles of wines on the wall in my living room! FAVOURITE WATCH? The TAG Heuer ‘Carrera’ watch [6] from the Cara Delevingne collection is on my wishlist. FRAGRANCE OF CHOICE? Givenchy ‘Very Irresistible’ [11], which was the first fragrance my mother gave me as a gift 10 years ago. BOOKS – WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW? A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini [9] is a stunning read that traces the lives of two women in Afghanistan. I just bought La Jeune Fille et la Nuit, a new novel from my favourite French writer, Guillaume Musso. MUSIC – WHAT’S ON ROTATION AT OFFICE AND HOME? No music at work as we are always running between the office and the cellars. At home, Latch by Disclosure. I can’t get enough of this song. FAVOURITE FLOWERS? White orchids [2]. BEST DOWNTIME (IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY) PURSUIT? of wine outside on a terrace with friends. ARE YOU A COFFEE OR TEA PERSON? Definitely coffee! I tasted a flat white for the first time during my Australian visit and loved it. ENTERTAINING – AT HOME – AND RESTAURANT OF CHOICE? I love to cook and host family and friends at home. I also like restaurants: Les Crayères in Reims is a favourite [8] – the cuisine of chef Philippe Mille (a Meilleur Ouvrier de France) is amazing, and head sommelier Philippe Jamesse always makes great recommendations. PREFERRED TIPPLE? Wine, naturally! FILMS THAT HAVE INSPIRED YOU? I like action films and thrillers like the striking psychological film, Shutter Island [7]. The Pianist, a poignant historical drama, was also very inspiring to me. SHOPS AND ONLINE STORES YOU FREQUENT? I am a wine and food lover. I often surf on Millésima’s website to purchase wine. I enjoy visiting fine wine specialists near my place in Reims and I’m a big fan of La Grande Épicerie and Le Bon Marché [10] when in Paris. TRAVEL – FAVOURITE HAUNT? I regularly go to Lake Annecy [4] in the French Alps where my parents live. This is a little piece of nature, between the lake and the mountains. I like cycling around the lake, wakesurfing in summertime and skiing in winter. I always pass by the laiterie to grab the delicious local cheeses to take home. LIST A FEW OBJECTS OF DESIRE YOU WOULD BUY RIGHT NOW. A good camera and plane tickets to travel and discover more places, including tickets to go back to Australia and take more time to visit the vineyards and the amazing landscapes! ruinart.com