“It was in November 1993,” he says, recalling the day he joined the two-century-old maison before pausing to go briefly wide-eyed. “Wow. Yes, so it’s been 33 years.”
Once a humble trainee looking for a side gig, the larger-than-life Bader has spent decades shaping the house’s identity, a task that has only grown more complex as changing attitudes toward luxury spirits reshape the industry. In his official role, he oversees the company’s marketing strategies and digital presence, travelling far and wide to — in his words — “bring the good news of Billecart-Salmon to the world”.
Wine has never been and will never be a foreign concept to the French. Hours-long family lunches where boisterous conversation flows as liberally as bottles of reds and whites are an inescapable ritual. In Champagne, babies undergo a baptême champenois, the wetting of the lips using a dab of the liquor during baptism. So, despite hailing from the historically non-vineyard growing department of Ardennes in the north, Alexandre Bader of Champagne Billecart-Salmon has always viewed working with wine as something of a ceremonial return to the familiar.
To continue reading our premium articles,
Upgrade your subscription to as low as $8.33/month to gain unlimited access to ALL of our premium articles!
Have an account? Sign In
