We are living in an era where everything changes so fast. Today's shiny new things become a forgotten past tomorrow. Change is inevitable as we have witnessed, but there are pockets of amazing beauty and artistry that stand the test of time. Meticulous detail, magic, craftsmanship, innovation that will never change….and we are always captivated by it.

Over the past years as I become much more aware of my surroundings and as I look at things with real purpose I find myself pulling back from the new and discovering the old ways.

I never underestimate the benefits that technology brings to our lives but I also want to keep traditional craftsmanship that generations left for us, truly at the forefront. A story such as the champagne maker of “Bollinger '' is exactly where this series started. A random chance that came about through researching my last series of James Bond watches. Albert R. Broccoli (producer of Bond)  weaves the brand (of Bollinger) throughout his works so I started to dig¹. And the story is FASCINATING!

Amazingly crafted in the 18th century and still made with the same passion to this very day. Forever keeping its eye on the way things should always be. Resisting change to provide the world with what things were and with the taste of history. The makers battled through hundreds of years of challenges like the phylloxera crisis² and World War ll³ but were always committed to preserving their traditional craftsmanship while adopting innovative technologies. Imagine how much vision, passion, effort and commitment it takes to continue the story for centuries. I started with Bollinger, but a similar story can be found in all champagne producers/houses. 

It is surely not possible without respect to the value of craftsmanship and history. Its pure artistry and all I wanted to do is to create homage through imagery. Thus, here the “Icons of Champagne” idea is born.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

⒈Schreffler, Laura, and Marissa Gonzalez. “How Bollinger Came To Be James Bond's Champagne Of Choice.” Haute Living, 13 November 2020, https://hauteliving.com/2020/11/why-james-bond-drinks-bollinger-champagne/691988/. 

 

⒉GIBSON, MIKE. “An inside look at sustainably minded champagne house Bollinger.” Foodism, 16 October 2017, https://foodism.co.uk/features/long-reads/origins/champagne-bollinger/. 

 

⒊“What Happened To Champagne During World War 2.” Glass Of Bubbly, 22 March 2022, https://glassofbubbly.com/what-happened-to-champagne-during-world-war-2/.