20 Minutes With: New Krug Champagne President Manuel Reman
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20 Minutes With: New Krug Champagne President Manuel Reman

By Shivani Vora
Tue, Nov 22, 2022 8:34amGrey Clock 4 min

Founded in 1843 in Reims, France, Krug champagne is one of the most prestigious and sought-after wines globally. A price for a bottle ranges from US$210 for a Grand Cuvee, the non-vintage label that it recreates every year, to US$2,799 for Clos d’Ambonnay, a vintage that’s produced from a single plot of pinot noir grapes.

This year, Krug appointed a new president, Manuel Reman, who, at 44, is one of the youngest presidents in the brand’s history. He joins the company at a time when sales are at an all-time high, and the house can’t produce enough champagne to meet the demand. “We sold out of bottles everywhere last year, which has never really happened before,” Reman says. Despite its visibility, he points out that Krug is a small label that produces just 0.1 percent of the world’s champagnes from its 200 acres of vineyards—Moet Hennessy, in comparison, commands 15,000 acres. It’s also still run like a family house: Olivier Krug, the sixth generation Krug, is a director and heavily involved.

With sales soaring, Reman’s biggest mandate in his role is to maintain the champagne’s quality and not make radical changes to a formula that’s already working. But while he might be a newcomer to Krug, Reman has worked at its parent company, LVMH, for nearly two decades in various roles including as chief of staff for Moet Chandon’s CEO. Even before starting in the industry, however, appreciating wine—its terroir, body, and taste—was his longtime hobby that he pursued by joining wine clubs in Paris.

Reman recently spoke with Penta from Krug’s headquarters in Reims about the brand’s future, attracting new audiences, and his favourite ways to enjoy the perfect glass of bubbly.

PENTA: Krug is already a well-established brand. What is your vision for the company as its president?

Manuel Reman: There might be a lot of Krug fans, but we need to diversify who drinks our champagne. Currently, it’s enjoyed mostly by serious oenophiles, but we want to attract people who aren’t wine connoisseurs yet appreciate a great glass of champagne.

How has Krug changed since it was founded in 1843?

The taste profile of the champagne hasn’t changed. The toasted bread, spices, and orange marmalade that were characteristics when we were founded in 1843 still define our taste today. What has changed is the production process itself. We still ferment in oak barrels, although many champagne makers have switched to using stainless steel tanks. However, we now store our reserve wines in stainless steel, which keeps them fresher for longer. We usually stick with tradition but use modern techniques when it makes sense.

How does Krug differentiate itself from other luxury champagnes?

Most release only vintage champagnes which express the grape production of a particular year. Krug has vintages too, but we also release a Grand Cuvee—our non-vintage—every year that’s a blend of nearly 200 different wines produced in different years and from different grapes and regions.

Where are your biggest markets, and what areas are up-and-coming?

Japan, by far, is the biggest and has been for nearly 20 years. Nearly one out of every three bottles of Krug that is produced is consumed in Japan. It became popular there because Olivier Krug [the sixth generation of the Krug family and the house’s director] spent three years in Japan working on brand awareness.

After Japan, the U.S. is the biggest, although we’re only big in five markets: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Texas, and South Florida. We’ve barely scratched the surface in the U.S., and part of the reason is that we don’t have enough bottles to sell.

In terms of up-and-coming markets, we’re seeing a lot of new drinkers in South Korea. Many high-end restaurants have opened in Seoul in recent years, and these places are carrying Krug. Germany and Italy are also newer markets for us and gained traction during Covid. The duty-free stores in the airports where Krug sells bottles were closed so we reallocated them to these countries, and people got to know about the brand.

There’s been a lot of press about the champagne shortage during the pandemic. What’s the reason behind the shortage, and how is Krug dealing with it?

People were home during Covid and started to consume champagne at home instead of saving it for a special occasion at a restaurant. They weren’t spending their discretionary income on traveling or going to restaurants and had a budget to spend on luxury items at home. Champagne fit into that trend.

Krug is dealing with the shortage by trying to make sure that our distribution is even in various markets and across restaurants and retailers. We are also asking retailers to limit the amount that customers can buy. What we don’t want is for any one person to buy a large number of bottles to keep or to resell.

You’re a proponent of the brand being about more than just drinking champagne. Can you explain what you mean?

I’m of the view that Krug needs to be an experience, not just a sparkling wine. For example, the Krug family house is in the village of Reims in the Champagne region, and we invite people to visit it for meals and tastings. The way we do our tastings is unique: We pair each champagne with a different music composition. We commission music from musicians all over the world and ask them to compose short songs for us based on the creative inspiration they get when they drink our champagnes. It could be classical, jazz, pop, or anything. We play their compositions while visitors drink our various champagnes. Chloe Flower, a classical pianist from the U.S., is one example of a musician we have collaborated with.

We also give private tours of our vineyards and cellars for people who schedule in advance. You can even spend the whole day in the fields appreciating the landscape, the greenery, the sounds of the birds, and just being outside.

Any tips for budding champagne collectors?

Know that champagne can age beautifully, but you need to store it away from the light and in cool temperatures. I also suggest buying champagnes from a diversity of brands, from small growers to well-known labels, because there are so many styles, and a collection should always have a mix. Once you find a champagne that you love, buy as much of it as you can. The scarcity issue isn’t going anywhere, especially with climate change and unpredictable harvest conditions. Follow your taste, not any rules about what champagne you should and shouldn’t own.

What advice can you share for enjoying the perfect glass of champagne?

First of all, please drink it in flutes. Champagne is a wine and should be drunk in a white wine glass. People started using flutes to see the effect of the bubbles rising from the bottom to the top, but they’re like listening to a concert with earplugs—the shape of the glass mutes the taste.

And, never wait for a special occasion to drink. Pop a bottle anytime, even on a Monday night dinner at home. What you’re celebrating is the champagne and the connection you have with the person you’re drinking it with.



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‘Look Them in the Eye.’ As Maui Rebuilds, Returning Tourists Need to Be Mindful of the Trauma, Says Cultural Advisor.
By DANIELLE BERNABE
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There’s an opportunity for education as tourists return to Maui while it rebuilds from last summer’s devastating wildfire, says Kalikolehua Storer, a Lahaina resident and the area cultural and training advisor for Hyatt’s Maui resorts.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962, the Lahaina Historic District—once a lush Hawaiian capital and retreat for Hawaiian monarchs—is beloved by residents, explored by tourists, and has a deep-rooted heritage. Storer was working on the opposite side of the island when the blaze started last August. She scrambled to connect with family and friends. And like so many others, she grappled with the utter chaos that rapidly destroyed her hometown.

Storer’s home was spared, but the fire ultimately claimed 115 lives and destroyed or damaged more than 2,300 structures, including culturally significant sites like the Na ‘Aikane o Maui Cultural and Research Center, which housed invaluable Hawaiian artefacts (books signed by kings, genealogy, maps, and more).

Kalikolehua Storer, a Lahaina resident and the area cultural and training advisor for Hyatt’s Maui resorts
Courtesy of Hyatt

Historically, Lahaina thrived from mauka to makai (mountain to ocean), with waterways nourishing native ecosystems and communities. However, years of water redirection and climate-related drought set the stage for such a disaster, and according to Storer, the fire underscored the erosion of Hawaiian control over land and natural resources, spotlighting issues like land degradation, water misappropriation, and tourism’s stronghold on Maui.

Tourism makes up a substantial part of Maui’s GDP. The wildfire led to a 51.4% drop in visitor arrivals between August and October 2023 compared to 2022, triggering a sharp 87.1% rise in unemployment, according to government statistics.

The sector’s dominance highlights the need for a more balanced and sustainable model. Moreover, the fire’s impact on tourism underscores the urgency to diversify Hawaii’s economy for greater growth and resilience. Lahaina’s water management issues, such as the historical diversion for sugar cane cultivation, have drastically altered local ecosystems.

With only 23% of water allocated for public use and the majority consumed by the private sector (resorts, golf courses, and some agriculture, for instance), the ecological imbalance has had severe consequences for indigenous environments. Storer said she believes the aftermath of the fires and the strain on Maui’s tourism highlight the interconnectedness of ecological health and economic stability.

In response to the crisis, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen formed a five-member advisory team to lead the recovery efforts, with Storer as a key participant. Storer also sits at the table of Maui’s Office of Recovery Natural and Cultural Resources, which helps to shine light on issues impacting air, water, and land. Storer collaborates with partners from federal, state, and county levels, along with Lahaina’s cultural practitioners, to facilitate Lahaina’s recovery post-wildfire.

Storer shared visions of Maui’s rebuild with  Penta , and the balance between tourism, ecology, and the road to sustainable solutions.

Penta: With such a huge road ahead, how are you embracing hope? And what is your ideal vision for Maui?

Kalikolehua Storer: I know that I can get caught up in the end result of what will or will not work, but in the moment, our community needs to be heard, and this is my part to lean into what they are sharing. People have envisioned Lahaina as a walking town with cultural sites, a cultural marketplace, and restoring Mokuʻula, the site of the private residence of King Kamehameha III from 1837-1845. It has since been buried under a baseball field.

We also need to diversify the economy. This is a big task, but with Hawaiian leaders in all sectors, I am confident that this can be accomplished. We have nowhere else to go but up, so all ideas are worth a conversation. My ideal Lahaina is to rebuild our historical sites, churches, and learning centres, and better care for the ocean, land, and air. To be better stewards, we need to educate and make it a priority. All of us, including visitors, need to know the importance. The issues we have about water and land need to be resolved.

Explain more about the land and water and how they are pivotal parts of recovery. 

The West Maui Mountains are home to the Pu’u Kukui Watershed and Mauna Kahalawai Watershed Partnership (caretakers of the mountain area directly above the impact zone), which used to flow through waterways and land divisions ( ahupua’a ) to enrich the ecosystems. However, when the sugar cane and pineapple industry arrived, that water was diverted and went straight to those farms. The water never went back to the way it was, and because of this, the indigenous ecologies have been drained. So, water needs to be returned to streams, and a greater percentage needs to be given for public use. This is a major issue and needs to be resolved. The waterways are there, but they need to be cleaned and prepared for water to flow. That has to start upland of the watershed. Looking at an aerial map of Kauaula Valley, most of the area is dry, but along the river where the Palakiko family lives is very lush. They prepared the stream area, and it came back. However, that took years because of private-sector control.

“Asking people how they are doing, looking them in the eye, and caring about them can make a huge difference,” Storer says.
Courtesy of Hyatt

Many people believe that tourism is the biggest problem. Is that true?

Right after the fire, many people encouraged tourists to stay away. And people listened. Our economy dropped because people stopped coming. Unemployment shot up, and the economy, as a whole, suffered. Our island is so dependent on tourism, and that is part of the problem. I believe we need to diversify the economy.

How can we educate tourists, and how can hotels be better stewards?

It truly is all about education and visitors engaging in cultural experiences and even conservancy programs, so that they have a better understanding of people and place when they visit. At Andaz and the other Hyatt hotels in Maui, I’ve developed very strong, culturally driven programs to engage our guests in authentic Hawaiian activities. Things like lei making, coconut weaving, hula lessons, celestial navigation, taro demonstrations, and Natural Cultural Resources programming with the Pu’u Kukui Watershed Preserve, Kipuka Olowalu, and the Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike at Mahele Farms.

At Andaz, the lūʻau experience is called the Feast at Mōkapu and focuses on the journey of the Polynesian ancestors arriving on Maui and settling in the ahupua’a where the resort sits. We don’t hold back in that storytelling. We dive into history that isn’t normally spotlighted at luau, and the uncomfortable truth of settlers to Hawaii is really important. After the fires, this education became even more important, and I encourage tourists to participate in experiences like this.

Hotels play a huge role in this and can provide cultural sensitivity sessions for their guests.

How can tourists play a role in the rebuilding?

It’s important now more than ever for visitors to consider what happened, and that their waiter, housekeeper, bartender, front desk attendant, dive instructor, store clerk, literally everyone was somehow impacted by this. Asking people how they are doing, looking them in the eye, and caring about them can make a huge difference. Also, if you choose to visit Maui, there are ways to volunteer and donate. We’re not just looking at physically rebuilding here, we’re looking at emotional wellness, history, and so much more that is going to take years. So, I would say donating to Maui Strong and taking a few hours of vacation time to volunteer can greatly help.

Allocation of funds and policies that help to financially sustain our agencies that do the work in the watersheds, waterways, farmers, and ocean agencies. The work they do today is the key to this turnaround. I believe that visitor taxes should be allocated for our Natural and Cultural Resources effort.

How can tourists be a “good tourist” and still visit in a conscientious way?

Be kind without being maha’oi (being forward in asking) and asking so many questions. A nice, genuine smile and encouraging words in passing can uplift someone. Also, those who own vacation rentals. We need help from that sector. We need to take a look at the things that got us into this crisis to begin with. Unfortunately, we are having to work through policies written years ago, not ever thinking we would be in this situation.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

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