In the storied vineyards of the Vallée de la Marne, in the Champagne region of France, Florence Duchêne, an independent winemaker with both French and Filipino roots, is carving out a distinct voice, one that speaks as much to identity as it does to terroir. Though her family has cultivated vines since 1874, Duchêne’s journey into winemaking was far from linear. With a background in international trade and time spent living abroad, she returned home in 2011 during a record harvest—and never left. A year later, she founded Champagne Florence Duchêne with a clear vision: to create wines that reflect not only the land but also who she is. Her cuvées stand apart and reflect the Filipino heritage she is extremely proud of. The names of her Champagne, like Anak, Maputi, Kalikasan, Di Mangan, and her rose Champagne, Bathala, reveal a winemaker deeply connected to her bicultural identity. “Growing up between..
