It used to mean that forgoing booze at party meant settling for a sad glass of sparkling water or juice. This is exactly why Constance Jablonski and Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, founded the premium non-alcoholic wine brand French Bloom.
‘In 2019, I was pregnant with my twins,' Frerejean-Taittinger says. 'I realized for the first time what it could feel like to be a little bit excluded from the culinary moment at a restaurant, but also social events with my friends or colleagues.'
So she teamed up with Jablonski, a top model and her friend since 2008, to change things. Together the pair realised there was no premium version of a non-alcoholic drink that wasn't riddled with sugar. After a year of 70 different tests and recipes, the duo launched French Bloom in 2021. Since then, the collection of sparkling non-alcoholic wines has been incredibly well received worldwide (including in France, a tough wine clientele to please), and has now been acquired by LVMH.
French Bloom now includes four sparkling wine cuvées: Le Blanc Essential, Le Rosé, L’Extra Brut, and La Cuvée Vintage 2023. To ring in the brand's fifth birthday, French Bloom recently threw a party on Belmond’s dreamy Celia carriage, a British Pullman carriage designed by Baz Luhrmann and costume designer Catherine Martin. To mark the occasion, we checked in with Jablonski and Frerejean-Taittinger to hear how they throw the perfect party where everyone, regardless of sobriety, can raise a glass.
How we Host with French Bloom
Wallpaper*: Are you a relaxed host and pull it all together at the last minute, or is there careful planning?
Constance Jablonski: I really wish I was a relaxed host, but I can't lie, I like planning everything. I'm such a perfectionist. I want everyone to have a good time, and it doesn't mean necessarily to have something super fancy, but I like to plan ahead.
Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger: I'm like you, Constance. I'm not relaxed. The more you do before, the more relaxed you are when the guests arrive. I love planning the menu, the table, the flowers. But once the guests arrive, I want people to feel like I'm completely relaxed. So, the best evenings, in my opinion, are the ones that people don't notice how much preparation went into it.
W*: Can you cook?
CJ: I'm a terrible cook. I never cook. I'm not the kind of person who can open the fridge and make some magic with like four or five ingredients.
MFT: But Constance, I've been to some great dinner parties at your house.
CJ: I order everything in! The great thing in Paris, and I'm sure in every big city now, is that you have so many great things available in épiceries and little restaurants.
MFT: I do like to cook. I think being in Paris definitely raised the bar. I like to cook for family and friends. But I'm also equally happy to delegate a course or two. Knowing when not to cook is also a hosting skill.
W*: What was the first dish you perfected to feed a group of friends or family?
MFT: A proper roasted chicken, which is very key to Sunday lunch with family and friends here in Paris. It's simple, it's generous, it's almost impossible not to love. And then adding roasted potatoes, a nice green salad, a great bottle of wine.
CJ: I do that every Sunday with my family, too. I go to the rôtisserie downstairs because they have such a great one, and I pick the potato and the chicken, and make a green salad myself.
Drinks on arrival – what’s on offer?
CJ: I always have alcohol for my friends I know they love to drink, and I have French Bloom for my friends I know they will never drink. It's nice to give people the option. I think it's the whole idea also behind French Bloom, making sure everyone has something that they like.
MFT: Fully agree. I've always been a sparkling girl. My husband's a Champagne maker; now we have French Bloom. I love sparkling for arrival, but as Constance says, our customers are flexi-drinkers; we are, flexi-drinkers. It's been interesting because I just moved to the US to build the market. I see that there's a big difference. In France, people start with French Bloom and save the wine for dinner because wine is culture and it's for food. In the US, I'm seeing the opposite. I'm seeing a lot of people accepting something alcoholic, and then switching to French Bloom to moderate responsible drinking without stepping down quality.
Go on and tempt us – what’s your go-to menu, from starters to afters, whether homemade or bought in?
MFT: When people arrive, maybe some crudités, very French, like some radish and butter, as we stay around the couch with our drinks. And then, when we sit at the table, I want to go straight for the main course. Not only does it help my dishwasher, because, again, apartments aren’t so big, but I'm tired of the different courses. I'd do a roast chicken or simply prepared fish, maybe with seasonal vegetables and potatoes, and a green salad. I’d probably skip the cheese course and then have a beautiful dessert, maybe something chocolate; dessert's not negotiable.
CJ: I'm a big fan of Greek food, so I feel like it's always like a little tomato salad or so, just something light and easy, like stuffed vine leaves, artichokes in olive oil. For the main course, I love fish; my go-to is a papillote: you place the fish in paper, add the spices, then tons of vegetables, and everything cooks together. I'll never forget about my cheese. And for dessert, I just pull out a nice box of chocolates.
What’s on your dinner party playlist?
MFT: It's important to have music that's not taking over the conversation until maybe later in the night when things can get a little bit louder. I love a mix of Olivia Dean, Anderson. Paak, a little bit of beat from Ayra Starr, Cleo Sol. I think that type of music would set the mood and bring a little energy.
Who’s your dream dinner party guest?
MFT: Stanley Tucci. I was just reading an article about him. I feel like I'd have somebody who genuinely loves food, wine, and conversation, as Stanley would definitely be the last person at the table. Stanley can mix with anybody; he would be an incredible dinner party guest. I would love to invite him to my home soon.
CJ: For myself, I would love to have a stand-up comedian. I love Haroun, who is a really great French comedian, or Caroline Vigneaux and Panayotis; he's hilarious. Comedians are great conversationalists, and they break the ice around political subjects, which can be a little delicate. We need that more than ever, right?
Dish the dirt: what should a host never do?
CJ: Talk politics.
MFT: It's so hard for me, because I studied political science. In the US, we're approaching the midterms; it's so extreme on all sides. It's very challenging. Now I'm in Paris; we know what's happening here. However, I believe a host should never spend the evening in the kitchen.
What should a guest never do?
CJ: Talk politics!
MFT: What if they arrive with an unexpected plus one? Or if people come and then spend the evening on their phones? It doesn't happen that much, but dinner is an invitation to be present.
What’s the secret to a successful evening?
CJ: A good mix of people, a good crowd that, you know, gets along, gets to know each other. I think the group is really what makes the evening.
MFT: I love it when I walk away from a party feeling so full. The word I would use is generosity. When you have generous food, generous pours, people opening beautiful bottles, and generous conversation. The best dinner parties aren't the most elaborate. They're the ones where you feel so comfortable that nobody wants to leave, and you really feel welcomed. It doesn't have to be caviar and Krug.
