My Most Sparkling Career Moments - #2
CEO and Winemaker Eileen Crane Pouring Bubbles
CEO and Winemaker Eileen Crane shares her happiest moments - the best pairings with sparkling wine, open book management and the most rewarding time in her career.
Why Eileen?
Quite simply, her leadership in sparkling wine is both broad and deep, traversing three American sparkling wineries, with connections to European houses in both France and Spain and spanning nearly forty years. From her first role in wine as a tour guide at Domaine Chandon, to her role as CEO and founding winemaker at Domaine Carneros, Eileen has been out in front.
She built two wineries, Gloria Ferrer and Domaine Carneros, from the ground up and started their sparkling programs. She was one of the first to install solar and offer a wine club. She introduced “open book management”, an approach that engages all employees – from vineyard and cellar workers to the most senior executives – in seeing the complete financial picture and making suggestions to improve the health of the business.
Here is Part 2 of my conversation with Eileen.
Vicky
What was the happiest time in your career, the most rewarding moment?
Eileen
In 2004 the Taittinger family [the French owners of Domaine Carneros] decided to sell their entire empire. In addition to the wineries, they had ownership in a range of hotels, a heating company, perfumes, and Baccarat crystal. Everything was sold so the proceeds could be distributed to the members of the family. The most rewarding thing was that a group of the Taittinger family then bought back Champagne Taittinger and Domaine Carneros. They wanted to keep us. That was gratifying.
Vicky
What is your approach to making sparkling wine? What sets you apart?
Eileen
In simple terms my style is “Audrey Hepburn in a little black dress”. There is nothing in excess, but every piece is there and it’s elegant. Some people use barrels for aging or add alcohol to the sparkling wine to make it a bigger wine.
At Domaine Carneros, we didn’t try to force the grapes with wood or alcohol. When the grapes are already that good you don’t want to do anything to detract from the quality of the wine. “When you have the best caviar, you don’t need to add anything to it.”.
Vicky
You’ve been in sparkling wine for your entire wine making career. What do you wish everyone knew about sparkling wine?
Eileen
Sparkling wine is a fine wine, not just a celebrational glass before something else. Some think it’s not a substantial, serious wine, that it might be something just for a girls’ shower. We often have a bottle of Champagne with a meal on a Thursday night. You don’t have to wait for company. We celebrate almost anything with a bottle of bubbles.
Vicky
Speaking of food, what are the best food pairings you’ve had with sparkling wine?
Eileen
I fell in love with Champagne and a steak. We ordered filet mignon, and we drank it through the whole dinner. I realized you don’t just have this before dinner. Why would you have a heavy red wine and a heavy red meat – heavy and heavy? The sparkling wine balances the heavy meat. I would pair a steak with a Rosé sparkling.
I also particularly like sparkling wine with scallops or sole or a lighter fish. I’ve been known to have a bottle of bubbles and an awfully good cheese and forget about dinner.
Vicky
So, what sparkling wines do you have in your refrigerator right now?
Eileen
I have a couple of bottles of Domaine Carneros vintage rosés. I also have a bottle of Prelude, which is a Taittinger Champagne [Taittinger Prelude Grand Crus Champagne]. We always have bubbles in the refrigerator!
Vicky
Let’s shift gears from talking about sipping sparkling wine to leading a company that makes it. You introduced and have long practiced something called “open book management.” Tell us about that and the impact it has had.
Eileen
We do monthly meetings where we show everybody our financials. All of a sudden people have an opportunity to understand where the money goes. It changed any sense that it’s us against them. People asked a lot of questions. We encouraged people to come forward with ideas and suggestions. It’s very active. There were many suggestions that came from employees that were really helpful and useful. Bottom line I found that management and employees tend to be happier.
Check out all my conversations with Eileen Crane
