New Cellar Master and strategy for Mumm

Didier Mariotti has been promoted to the post of chef de cave at Champagne G.H. Mumm following the departure of Dominique Demarville to Veuve Clicquot. Mariotti joined Mumm as assistant chef de cave in 2003, after working for Moët & Chandon and Nicolas Feuillatte, and has been responsible for winemaking ever since.

Pernod Ricard has high expectations of Mumm, which it has identified as one of the 15 brands central to the group’s premiumisation strategy. The group is committing significant resources to trading up Mumm’s image, which suffered during the 1990s, largely due to the poor quality of its wines. At its lowest ebb in 2001, the Champagne house was only producing 6 million bottles a year. However, Demarville and Mariotti rethought the winemaking philosophy and restored the standard of the wines as well as the volume. Mumm is reaping commercial benefits from this improved quality. The brand recently won a listing with a UK hotel chain based on a blind tasting. Mariotti says, "We wouldn’t have had the confidence to go up against those brands a few years ago but now we can." The house has also made a conscious effort to carry out less discounting activity as part of its premiumisation strategy.

Pernod Ricard is also keen to expand the brand’s international reach. Jean-Etienne Gourgues, director Europe & Asia, explains, "Until now, Mumm did not have a presence in Asia outside of Japan but we have made significant inroads in Singapore, Shanghai and Taipei in the past five months alone." One of the objectives of Mumm’s international strategy is to take market share from its main rival Moët & Chandon.

Mariotti is obviously relishing the prospect of being the final decision maker. He says, "You have to ask yourself whether you’re going to make a vintage or a grand cru, or whether you want to increase the volume of rosé, which will impact on the volume of Cordon Rouge you are able to produce."

Mariotti plans to continue the refurbishment programme started by Demarville, which saw new machinery installed in the cellars as well as a new bottling line. The next step will be to change the disgorgement process. Mariotti says, "I’m not planning to make any big changes as what we do works but I will continue to be very strict on quality. Maintaining that quality is the biggest challenge."

© db 15th November 2006