CHAMPAGNE Maestro
Meet Martin A. Konorza, the visionary behind De Watère Champagne, where each sip is an exploration of joy and elegance. In this exclusive interview, he shares insights into the soul of champagne, the art of crafting luxury experiences, and the unique journey that turned traditional winemaking on its head.
L’O: Tell us about Prestige Brut Blanc – what makes it a must-try and different from the usual Blanc Champagnes? Martin A. Konorza: As it is traditional, the Prestige Brut Blanc shows the brand’s character. In our case, it has a surprisingly deep and broad flavour profile with exceptionally long maturation and is very Pinot Noir-heavy (80 % Pinot Noir, 20 % Chardonnay). L’O: The Prestige Brut Rosé de Saignée sounds intriguing. Can you share a bit about its complexity and what makes it the crown jewel? MK: It’s 100 % Pinot Noir. Therefore, it’s the ultimate expression of that grape. It comes without bitterness because we circumvent pressing by employing the complex and labour-intensive Saignee method.
L’O: Sustainability and manual labour play a role in crafting your champagnes. How does this hands-on approach impact the taste and overall quality?
MK: My motivation has been to create a champagne that tasted so amazing that it is worthy of the name champagne. Because I couldn’t find one that fulfilled that promise, we decided to return to the pure grape to see what we were working with. Given the grape, we found that most of the vines are already 60 years old, so the room to show her full potential is the way to go. The required attention to detail and care towards the grape is, at this point, only available by working with people and horses. This respectful approach in combination with exceptionally long maturation periods results in a powerful taste, which is more comparable to a wine than to typical champagnes.
L’O: Your champagnes boast a story of happy moments. What kind of moments are we talking about, and how does it translate into a sip?
MK: We think champagne is not only for grand celebrations, but champagne is there to celebrate life. Have you ever seen
a sad person drink champagne? You can taste that devotion to optimism, happiness, and passion with every sip of our champagnes.
L’O: How do you ensure every detail in the crafting process contributes to the pure, aromatic, and elegant taste of De Watère? MK: Everybody at De Watère passionately subscribes to our mission of finding the true soul of champagne. One expression of this is that we do not release our champagnes based on maturation times but on their flavour. Most of the team tastes together, and every voice is heard. So, every team member is jointly responsible for the final quality.
L’O: Managing a business like De Watère requires effective time management. Can you share a glimpse into your daily routine and how you balance work and personal life?
MK: It’s not so much about routines because every day is different, but it is about remaining level-headed and focused. Most important is my team, who take ownership of their tasks and projects. We all know you can only perform at work when you’re happy in your personal life and vice versa. The well-being of my team members and myself has always been important to me, but after my cancer treatment, it became the guiding principle.
L’O: Success often comes with its unique challenges. What lesson have you learned along your journey that significantly contributed to your personal and professional growth?
MK: Remain critical to yourself. Surround yourself with people who dare to disagree with you and speak their minds. Instead of telling them what you want to hear, they inform you about what’s best for the company, often in a way that may differ from your expectations or plans.
EVERYBODY at De Watère PASSIONATELY subscribes TO OUR MISSION of finding the true SOUL OF CHAMPAGNE.