Good things do not usually come easy. For Filipina French winemaker Florence Duchêne, the struggle to succeed in her industry and earn the respect of her peers does not end with establishing her own Champagne label.
She admits that despite the recognitions and accolades—from Gault & MIllau every year since 2019, features in top publications such as Bettane & Desseauve—as well as enjoying a wide distribution throughout Belgium, Italy, the US, Sweden, and Denmark, Duchêne candidly discloses that she still has to break through many intangible walls.
“Oh, yes, it still is,” the sleepy-eyed beauty answers in thickly-accented English when we asked if she encounters resistance from a dominantly-male, fiercely traditional field. “It is still a struggle, every day.”
Perhaps it was because of this restrictive traditionalism—even close to home, it seems—that winemaking was not the automatic career choice for Duchêne. Her family has been cultivating vines for many generations at Vallée de la Marne since 1874, but the young Duchêne initially dabbled in international trade until an uncharacteristically high-yielding harvest in 2011 brought her back home and enticed her to stay.
A year later, she launched her namesake label. It was a slow start, but things quickly picked up after changes in her personal life suddenly allowed her more creative and professional freedom. “Doors were suddenly opening up,” Duchêne says, smiling. And I was finally able to do things the way I wanted to. I was making the wines in the style that I wanted and people, good thing, were really liking it.”
“I was finally able to do things the way I wanted to. I was making the wines in the style that I wanted and people, good thing, were really liking it”
These open doors have led her back to her mother’s homeland, where her Ilocana and Ilongga roots introduced Duchêne to pinakbet and a more recent discovery, bopis, which she absolutely loves. She met local restaurateurs and wine lovers Ricky and Bubu Andres when they brought up her name at a tasting in Henri Giraud, and the person they happened to be chatting with (Henri Giraud commercial director Stephane Barlerin) is Duchêne’s current beau.
After what was meant to be a brief visit to her Champagne house last December 2024 turned into a three-hour drinking session, the Andreses soon were hosting a homecoming for the winemaker at their Rockwell Makati hotspot, Ayà. Local Champagne aficionados finally got a taste of her stripped-down, precise approach to quality, which promises zero gimmicks but a distinct personality that is expressive and respectful of wine’s natural characteristics.
“I wanted to make wines that reflect who I am. Honest, feminine, and grounded,” she says. Her cuvées are all Extra Brut, aged a minimum of five years, and produced in limited quantities, between 10,000 and 15,000 bottles per year.
The game plan seems to be simple enough—make Champagne that stands out. Duchêne has started aging her Champagne in oak, and soon enough all of her Champagne will be processed that way giving it its distinct aroma and mouthfeel. She shares her desire to focus on food and wine pairing, making Champagne that is not only good for toasting and balmy nights by the pool but also delightful when matched with dishes beyond canapés.
When making her champagne, she likens her methods to cooking, where she tastes as she goes. “I adjust based on taste,” she says. “It is very intuitive.”
“I wanted to make wines that reflect who I am. Honest, feminine, and grounded,” she says. Her cuvées are all Extra Brut, aged a minimum of five years, and produced in limited quantities, between 10,000 and 15,000 bottles per year
At the Ayà homecoming, bottles of Duchêne’s “Maputi” cuvée were paired with bougie cheese sticks topped with shaved truffles, its 100 percent chardonnay aged and fermented in oak barrels for 24 months developing a creamy breadcrumb and ginger flavor that made it a perfect match with the truffles and the tangy banana ketchup choron.
Duchêne’s “Bathala” skin-contact Champagne that is 60 percent pinot noir and 40 percent pinot meunier has ethereal berry notes and that faint chocolate on the palate, which made it go so well with chefs Thirdy Dolatre and Kevin Navoa’s smoky and rich lamb longganisa burger. Sure, the Champagnes are delightful on their own, but the deliberate adjustments to add personality has given these cuvées profound character rarely present among their peers.
Coming home to the Philippines was one of Duchêne’s ultimate dreams, and she has achieved that in the grandest fashion. The homecoming was not merely a one-night commitment but her introduction to the local market. The initial plan was for the Andreses to exclusively distribute Champagne Florence Duchêne in Ayà and sister restaurant Hapag, but demand had convinced them to offer for retail and other establishments as well.
With a new cuvée launching this month, it is looking like Duchêne is finally putting her past difficulties behind her. When asked if she would want her children to follow her into the winemaking business, her soft features suddenly looked pensive and said with all seriousness, “I do not know if they should. I want them to have a peaceful life. Yes, but only if they will have peace.”
It seems that despite the meteoric rise in her industry, carving out a space for herself in a world dominated by men, Duchêne’s struggles continue. However, from now on, she will not have to endure it on her own. She will have the support of her homeland behind her.
