Mom Creates Unique Business With Champagne

To properly open champagne, shield the top while turning the bottle, not the cork. The smaller the bubble, the finer the luxurious concoction. “Champagne is wine that’s been fermented twice,” explains Ruth Frantz of Southport, who shares facts easily, proof of her passion for the bubbly. For two years now, this owner of Henri’s Reserve, an on-line store for family-estate champagne, has watched her unique business thrive. “We’ve been very fortunate that we’ve tapped into this niche, these family-estate champagnes, which wine critics are loving and top sommeliers are featuring,” she says. As Frantz prepares for a busy holiday season, she hopes to be an inspiration to other moms, looking to establish new careers.

“I wanted to be in charge of my destiny,” says Frantz, a former marketing executive for Fortune 500 companies that sell champagne from large-scale houses. She wanted to cut down on travel by working from a laptop and cell phone from home, as her daughter, now 12, grew older: “It actually occurred to me on the New Jersey Turnpike. I said, ‘Oh, I understand champagne. I’ve created new products. I understand e-commerce. Let’s throw that all together.” Now, she collaborates with estates or importing partners to ship a variety of elite chardonnay, rose and pinot noir, often served at five-star restaurants, to anyone in 48 states. “I like being part of something that’s a really crafted artisanal product,” she says, noting her knowledge of the northeast region of France is authentic. “I got to spend a lot of time there and explore, really go behind the scenes.”

Remember J. Peterman of “Seinfeld” fame? Frantz set-out to create a mythical character that would similarly set-up the personality of her brand. “Henri is this very chic, charming bon vivant, slightly naughty,” she laughs. She also put a real focus on the look of the business, hiring an artist from Parsons School of Design to create sophisticated illustrations that now adorn her gift packs, very popular for Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas get-togethers and New Year’s Eve celebrations. “The minute you hear the pop, the party started,” laughs Frantz. While special, some family-estate champagnes are reasonably priced. Frantz sells many $50 bottles as presents, as well as cases for corporate gifts.

The facts keep coming. “Where the champagne is from — the ‘terroir’ — is really important to the profile of the champagne,” says Frantz, committed to learning and trying new things, like this career path. “I encourage people to think about what their skill sets are and what they love.” Encouragement that we can all find our joie de vivre.

To learn more about Henri’s Reserve, log onto http://www.henrisreserve.com and watch Monday’s Fox CT Morning News.