How Champagne Shocked Me in All the Best Ways ✨🍾

Hi Wine Friends

I just got back from a week in Champagne, and to be honest… I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything I experienced.

Every April, a little thing called Printemps des Champagnes ("spring of Champagne") takes over the region—a weeklong celebration where growers open their cellars, pour their latest releases, and invite the wine world to experience Champagne in its rawest, most exciting form. It all began with Terres & Vins, a group of pioneering grower-producers who disrupted the status quo by championing transparency. At their tasting, you don’t just sample finished Champagne—you also taste Vin Clair, the still base wines before their second fermentation. It’s like watching a wine grow up before your eyes.

The whole week carried that spirit: thoughtful, educational, and refreshingly open and welcoming. Conversations about climate change, sustainability, and the future of the region were woven into every seminar, tasting, producer visit and after-dinner bottle. And through it all, there was a warm sense of community that I wasn’t expecting—but deeply appreciated.

When one hears Champagne, the name often inspires grandeur, diamonds, and pretense; but the soul of the region could not be further from that - humble farmers who value craft over career and who are excited to show off their work to those who appreciate it.

Of course, I went to learn—because when a region as legendary as Champagne invites you in, you say oui. But I’ll admit, I also had a bit of an ulterior motive…

As you know, I’m getting ready to film the first season of Her Way—a documentary-style series highlighting women in wine, told through the regions they call home. And as we prepare to shoot up and down the West Coast, I couldn’t help but start imagining what future seasons might look like. And let’s just say… I’m not not dreaming about France.

Because if this trip reminded me of anything, it’s this: wherever there is great wine, there are even greater women behind it.

And let me tell you—Champagne is no exception…

The Women of Champagne

With Aline and my fabulous travel partner-in-crime Nori

 
One of my first stops was Atome, a small bottle shop and tasting concept in Reims, owned by Aline Serva. Atome is the recent evolution of her previous concept Au Bon Manger, which gained a cult following for its hyper-local cuisine and hyper-cool Champagne selection. Aline is not only a champion of minimal intervention wines—she’s also one of the most connected and respected voices in Champagne’s new wave. I’m working on her to come to host a  seminar at Arden!

Then there was a special visit with Clémence Lelarge (who actually did come to Arden last summer for a wine dinner), the eighth generation of Champagne Lelarge-Pugeot, a family-run biodynamic estate in Vrigny. Her darling mother, Dominique, cooked us a beautiful lunch and, sitting around the kitchen table with the whole family, sipping bubbles from vines just down the hill, I got to taste and experience their family legacy.

Walking the vines with Clemence

I also got to meet Aurore Casanova, a former principal ballerina for the French Royal Ballet, who left the stage to return to her mother’s vines. Her Champagnes are just as precise and graceful as her former profession. I was floored by the wines of Françoise Bedel, one of the region’s earliest adopters of biodynamics. Her cuvées are a true reflection of place and she’s a beloved matriarch of Champagne’s grower movement. And finally, Marion Vincey of Domaine Vincey is bringing freshness and intensity to Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. Her wines are textured, mineral, and full of character, and they’re part of a new generation pushing boundaries while staying deeply rooted in their land.

Each of these women are redefining what Champagne looks like, tastes like, and feels like. They’re preserving tradition while daring to reshape it. And yes… it was very hard not to imagine bringing a camera crew next time to share their stories with all of you!

But before we get ahead of ourselves… we’ve got Season 1 to make—and I’m thrilled to say it’s officially in motion! Thanks to your incredible support, we’re about halfway to our GoFundMe goal, which means: We’re officially filming the first two episodes of Her Wayin Sonoma and Napa at the end of May! And we’ll continue fundraising so we can finish the full season—two more episodes each in Washington and Oregon.

If you’ve already donated or shared the campaign—thank you. Truly.

And if you haven’t yet and this mission resonates with you—whether it’s supporting women in wine, independent storytelling, or just wanting more feel-good, meaningful content in the world—I’d be honored by your support.

No amount is too small, there are some fun perks for donors (special bottles, premiere tickets, Executive Producer credits), and every single dollar goes directly into our production team.

I'll be sharing more of my trip in the coming weeks. But for now, merci for being part of this dream. Whether it’s in California, Oregon, Champagne, or somewhere we haven’t even imagined yet—I’m so grateful to have you along for the ride.

Santé 🥂
Kelsey