Iconic champagne brand toasts friendship between two countries
French President Emmanuel Macron gifted high-ranking Chinese officials with bottles of Champagne Cattier after arriving in Beijing with a delegation of more than 60 business leaders in early April.
Champagne Cattier is a centuriesold family business and a prominent player in France’s agricultural and wine sectors. Gao Li, the company’s representative in China, said: “Champagne symbolizes victory, good fortune and happiness, and the Cattier brand is greatly honored to play a role in President Macron’s visit.”
“Communication and visits between high-ranking French and Chinese officials provide an important signal of the strong relationship and deep cooperation between the two countries,” Gao said, adding that Cattier has full confidence in China’s open and stable business environment.
“We witnessed a special moment in the Sino-French friendship on this visit and we hope to continue spreading the culture of champagne, food and even lifestyle in China while collaborating with more Chinese companies to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in industries and products,” Gao said.
She noted the Cattier family has a history of more than 400 years in the Champagne region of France. In 2006, the family launched a subbrand called Ace of Spades Champagne — also known as Armand de Brignac — to join its established line and it achieved immediate success both professionally and commercially.
By introducing its special champagne to the Chinese market, Cattier hopes to add a touch of fabled French romance to the nation’s increasingly upscale consumer base. During President Macron’s visit, Champagne Cattier served as the corporate delegation’s business wine. Known as the “kingdom of wine”, France has a long history of crafting many of the world’s greatest vintages. A bottle of fine wine can often convey more meaning than language or gestures, which is why it has become a staple at state banquets.
Champagne Cattier has earned international acclaim in Europe, Asia and the Americas and is served in many Michelin-starred restaurants and high-end hotels around the globe. The company has always prioritized superb quality and customer satisfaction for its products, so in order to ensure the safest and most efficient delivery to the Chinese market, it utilizes the ChinaEurope Chang’an freight train service, which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Champagne Cattier can trace its origins to 1625, when the Cattier family planted vineyards in Chignyles-Roses, located in the heart of France’s Montagne de Reims. The winery has been passed down for 13 generations. Jean-Jacques Cattier and his son Alexandre, the 12th and 13th generation of champagne makers, jointly created Champagne Armand de Brignac, realizing their dream to produce an excellent vintage that fully embraces the region’s unmatched level of expertise in the time-honored art of winemaking.