“We want a welcome drink to be a welcome for everyone,” Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, co-founder of French Bloom, shared with a room of journalists. There are many reasons someone may choose to opt out of alcohol, and while there are many great non-alcoholic cocktails and beers on the market, the wine category, arguably, still struggles with producing a good non-alcoholic wine. In 2019, the French Bloom team set change that, and now their alcohol-free sparkling wine is available across North America.
At the time, Maggie was the Director was the of the Michelin Guide and pregnant, and Constance Jablonski was a model. “We were both navigating periods in our lives where we either couldn’t or chose not to drink alcohol,” Maggie shared, but “we found ourselves constantly attending dinners, celebrations, and social events where the non-alcoholic options felt like an afterthought”.
The goal was to be the first to create a complex, terroir-driven sparkling wine that was also natural. Trial and error pushed them to take a cognac approach, starting with bigger wines which, when de-alcoholised, can maintain their integrity. Today, French Bloom has a Mason in France where they grow the grapes and go through every step of wine production regular wines do, plus one: de-alcoholising. The first vintage was released in 2022. Today, there are four 0.0% ABV vintages available in their shop: Le Blanc, Le Rosé, Extra-Brut, and La Cuvée Vintage 2023.
Following the Canadian launch of French Bloom, we followed up with Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger to learn more about the story behind the company and the complex work that goes into producing alcohol-free sparkling wine.
Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, co-founder of French Bloom. Image courtesy of French Bloom.
Kateryna Topol: You spotted a rather unique opportunity within the non-alcoholic category, tell us about the early days
Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger: We wanted to create a sparkling wine that would allow people to participate fully in life’s most memorable moments without compromise. Not a substitute for wine, but a truly premium alcohol-free experience in its own right. That vision led us on a multi-year journey of research and development, working alongside experts in French winemaking to create something that combined the elegance of French savoir-faire with innovation. From the very beginning, our goal was to reinvent the art of celebrating and create a product that brought people together, regardless of what was in their glass.
KT: You received several awards last year as well, congratulations! What was your reaction when you found out?
MFT: Receiving industry recognition was incredibly meaningful because it validated something we believed from the very beginning: alcohol-free wines deserve the same level of craftsmanship and respect as traditional wines. To be elected the World’s Best Alcohol-Free Sparkling wine, for three years at the prestigious World Sparkling Awards proved that our hard work pays off.
Our first reaction was gratitude. Building a new category comes with challenges, and these awards were a reminder that the industry and consumers were embracing the vision.
KT: Your goal was to create a complex, terroir-driven sparkling wine experience without alcohol, what kind of research and development went into finding the “perfect” bottle?
MFT: A tremendous amount. We worked closely with my husband, Rodolphle, who has expertise in the Champagne and Cognac industry, to understand how to craft complex and sophisticated alcohol-free wines. We tested countless blends, grape varieties, and production methods. The challenge wasn’t simply removing alcohol. It was maintaining texture, aromatics, balance, and length on the palate. Every adjustment was evaluated through extensive tastings until we felt we had created something that could truly stand on its own.
KT: Were there any interesting or funny stories that came out of the trial-and-error period during development?
MFT: At the very beginning, we thought our wines would mainly be aimed at pregnant women and religious markets, but we were wrong! We estimate today that nearly 80% of our customers do drink wine and champagne; they are just looking to moderate. And maintain quality when they do.
We realised right from the start of this journey that consumer demand was much higher, while there was virtually no supply. Constance and I were convinced that people didn’t want to replace a glass of wine with something less healthy. We knew we didn’t want to compromise on quality or health, which is why our wines are made with organic ingredients and are certified vegan, pregnancy-friendly, and free of added sugar, sulfites, or preservatives.
KT: Your vineyards are located in France. Can you share where they are situated?
MFT: French Bloom is crafted in Limoux, a historic winemaking region in the south of France, renowned for its rich winemaking heritage, exceptional sunshine, and ideal conditions for producing sparkling wines. We work with organic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines, carefully selected for their freshness, concentration, and aromatic complexity.
In 2025, French Bloom took an exciting step forward by acquiring its own estate in Limoux, becoming the first Maison dedicated exclusively to alcohol-free sparkling wine production. This marks an important milestone in our journey and allows us to further deepen our connection to the region and its terroir.
KT: Can people visit your winery?
MFT: While we do not currently have a public visitor centre, we are actively working on creating an immersive French Bloom destination and hope to welcome guests by next year. We look forward to opening our doors and sharing the craftsmanship, philosophy, and unique terroir of Limoux that are at the heart of every bottle of French Bloom.
Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, co-founder of French Bloom. Image courtesy of French Bloom.
KT: That’s very exciting. Back to the wine, who is your winemaker?
MFT: French Bloom was co-founded alongside my husband, Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger, who leads the winemaking vision behind the Maison. Rodolphe comes from a family deeply rooted in the world of Champagne and Cognac, giving him a lifelong connection to some of France’s most celebrated winemaking traditions.
From the beginning, he was instrumental in helping us achieve our ambition of creating an alcohol-free sparkling wine that could deliver the same complexity, structure, and sense of occasion as a fine wine. Developing French Bloom was far from a traditional winemaking project. What makes French Bloom so special is that it combines centuries of French winemaking savoir-faire with modern innovation. Rodolphe and the team approached the challenge with the same attention to detail and commitment to quality that you would expect from the world’s great wine houses, resulting in sparkling wines that are elegant, complex, and completely alcohol-free.
KT: French Bloom is dealcoholized. Can you speak to the complexities of that winemaking process, end to end?
MFT: One of the biggest misconceptions about alcohol-free wine is that you simply remove the alcohol and the work is done. In reality, creating a premium alcohol-free sparkling wine requires an incredible amount of precision at every stage of the process. That is how we developed our 0.0% Wine Revelation Process: we craft our base wines specifically for 0.0%, always keeping in mind that they will be dealcoholized. Every decision – from early-harvest grapes to acidity, structure, aromatics and tension – is made to ensure that once the alcohol is removed, the wine still expresses length, texture and balance. It requires an entirely new approach to winemaking – neither traditional nor imitative, but innovative and intentional.
Everything begins in our organically farmed vineyards in Limoux, in the south of France. We harvest our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes earlier than is typical for traditional winemaking, which helps preserve the natural acidity and freshness that are essential to the structure of the final wine. From there, we vinify the grapes just as we would a traditional wine.
The wine is fermented and then aged for several months in a combination of stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, depending on the cuvées. This stage is incredibly important because it allows us to develop the complexity, texture, and aromatic profile that form the foundation of French Bloom. Only once the wine has reached the desired level of maturity do we begin the dealcoholization process. We use a gentle vacuum distillation method, which operates at very low temperatures. By lowering the atmospheric pressure, alcohol can be removed without exposing the wine to excessive heat, helping us preserve many of the delicate aromas and flavour compounds that make the wine unique. The entire process is a balance between traditional French winemaking and modern innovation.
KT: How long are your wines aged?
MFT: Our wines are aged only for our Prestige Collection, L’Extra Brut and La Cuvée Vintage. Six months in oak barrels for the first one, eight months for the latter. Oak barrels help build additional structure and complexity, creating remarkable depth and elegance. We often say that great alcohol-free wine starts with great wine. The ageing process is a critical part of that philosophy, helping us build the complexity and character that consumers might not expect from a 0.0% sparkling wine.
KT: Can you please talk a bit about your approach to sustainability?
MFT: Sustainability has been part of French Bloom’s vision from the very beginning. We work exclusively with certified organic grapes and craft wines that are vegan, sulphite-free, and produced with a thoughtful, low-intervention approach. More recently, the acquisition of the estate in Limoux has been an important milestone, giving us greater oversight of both vineyard and winemaking practices as we continue building the future of premium alcohol-free wine. For us, sustainability goes hand in hand with innovation and long-term stewardship, ensuring we can create exceptional wines while respecting the land they come from.
KT: Finally, other than opening an immersive French Bloom destination, what’s next for French Bloom?
MFT: There is so much that excites us about the future. While we’re continuing to expand French Bloom globally and introduce more consumers to the category, we’re equally focused on elevating what alcohol-free wine can be.
One of the most exciting milestones is our new estate in Limoux, which will become fully operational later next year. This gives us an incredible opportunity to deepen our connection to the terroir and continue pushing the boundaries of premium alcohol-free winemaking.
More broadly, our ambition is to continue leading innovation in the space while remaining true to our founding mission: creating exceptional wines that bring people together and allow everyone to participate in life’s most meaningful celebrations.
We truly believe we’re only at the beginning of what this category can become, and that’s incredibly exciting.
