CHARLES HEIDSIECK, 200 YEARS OF FREEDOM
One of the most historical cuvées of the Charles Heidsieck House of Champagne is to make a return, boarding the Grain de Sail cargo sailboat and crossing the Atlantic in the footsteps of Charles Heidsieck. For the House, 2022 marks 200 years since the birth of its founder: a gentleman-entrepreneur with a taste for adventure, bold and pioneering. He would reinvent the champagne market in the mid-19th century by converting the Americans to his own bottles, earning him legendary status across the Atlantic and the nickname “Champagne Charlie”.
CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE AND THE RETURN OF A LEGENDARY CUVEE
To mark the occasion, the House Charles Heidsieck has decided to relaunch its iconic cuvée – Champagne Charlie – the very expression of the founder’s spirit, as interpreted by our talented Cellarmaster, Cyril Brun. Bursting with the full House's expertise in terms of freedom of blending and maturation of the wines, this cuvée is a tribute and, above all, incarnation of the famous “Charles’ signature”. And it should come as no surprise that – as the market who gave it its name and legendary status – the House Charles Heidsieck was keen to prioritise America when it came to supplying the cuvée.
A SHARED TASTE OF ADVENTURE
Cuvée Charlie will therefore be entrusted to Grain de Sail for a transatlantic crossing on board its cargo sailboat – the first modern, regulated, merchant shipping cargo sailboat in the world – thereby truly following in Charles’ footsteps (or rather wake) who of course made his own crossings by sea. The event kicks off on the 12th April, live from the port of Saint-Malo, and ends in New York on the 16th June, in time to celebrate Charles’ birthday.
ABOUT GRAIN DE SAIL
The Grain de Sail adventure was born in 2010 in the waters of Morlaix, Brittany, from the audacious idea of fetching coffee and chocolate from the other side of the world, whilst limiting CO2 emissions as much as possible by using a unique mode of transport: the cargo sailboat.
Coffee and chocolate in France, and wine in New York. We always prioritise products that showcase taste. Everyday we strive to select high-quality, organic products that are gourmet, delicious and from sustainable sources.
But Grain de Sail is also a human adventure that brings together committed and passionate men and women. Our project unites people who aspire to build a company with meaning, where everyone does their bit.
