Champagne’s Madame Salvatori dies

One of the leading Champagne retailers in Epernay, Jacqueline Salvatori, has died aged 89.

Always dressed in her white smock, Salvatori was Epernay’s if not the region’s best known cavistes. She died on Tuesday 23 February.

Despite its size, Salvatori’s little shop on Rue Flodoard, just off Epernay’s Place de la République, was renowned for its array of Champagnes, which spanned the biggest and most expensive grandes marques to little known growers as well as other regional specialties such as Ratafia.

The span of vintages she stocked was also impressive if not unique.

She was one of the few traders anywhere to have 20 year old Dom Pérignon or Comtes de Taittinger on sale (and for reasonable prices) – or could source it from her stocks if you asked.

Well known to trade and amateur alike, so famous did the shop and its owner become that it is often cited in guides to the region written as far afield as Australia and the shop was always filled with visitors (easily done given its small size) pre or post their visits to the famous cellars a short walk away. Her lack of English never proved much of a barrier to her ability to sell them Champagne however.

The shop was founded by Salvatori and her husband in 1952, initially selling fruit and vegetables and just a little wine until in the 1970s it switched to become a wine boutique.

Age did not get in the way either; she never took holidays or retired and was still to be found behind the counter well into her eighties.

A charming and formidable lady, while she never ran a Champagne house she was truly one of the region’s grandes dames.