The King of Wines: De Watère’s Martin Konorza on Becoming Champagne Royalty

De Watère was brought to life by an unwavering search for a signature, exquisite-tasting champagne; one that truly lives up to the mythical idea of what champagne should be.  

The name ‘De Watère’ and its imagery derive from the gryphon Theodore; a homage to Martin’s French ancestors and 1,000-year-old family history, whose roots go back further than the conception of champagne itself, featuring in the Domesday book in 1086.

As CEO and Founder, Martin has transformed the luxury beverage space with a fascinating history and intuition and respect for nature, allowing the taste of the grape to evolve as it intends to.

Founded in 2011, De Watère has since made a global name for itself, winning countless awards and exhibiting at the world-renowned Monaco Yacht Show each year.

As a long-term partner of Superyachts.com, we had the pleasure of speaking with Martin earlier this month; unravelling what it means to capture the ‘true soul’ of champagne, and ultimately what’s next for the brand.

“When I was 15 or 16, I had this mythical, incomparable idea in my head of what champagne should be, but it never lived up to the marketing promise,” says Martin.

“I went to champagne country a couple of years later and expressed how I wanted to find out what champagne can truly be, and what it promises to be – and that’s how De Watère came about. Since we launched in 2011, our one true goal has always been to find this exquisite champagne, it has become a true quest for us, and we believe we have found it.”

De Watère champagnes are produced exclusively from the heartland of champagne, the Premier Cru village of Avenay Val d’Or, which translates to ‘the avenue of the golden valley.’

The vineyards here are sustainably managed, offering the perfect climate and first-class conditions to allow each grape to reach its full maturity potential.

“For hundreds of years, many brands have built up the idea of what champagne should be, and now we’re the first ones to ask how we actually achieve it, and what the grape is capable of,” Martin explains.

“When you’re working with nature, it’s different every single day. We’ve found many natural, noninvasive methods in our vineyards because it is better for the grape. That’s the only thing we care about. Once you’ve tasted our champagne, you will always recognise it. At De Watere, we want the grape to show everything it is capable of. It’s like raising a child, you don’t want it to be isolated in a sterile environment, and that’s the same approach we have at the vineyard. We refuse to use any pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. We don’t use tractors on our grounds due to harmful emissions and compressions created on the soil which can damage the roots of the vines. Instead, we use horses. We want to provide the perfect environment for our vineyards to flourish, and for the grape to develop completely and freely. Who are we to dictate what nature should do? Sustainability is crucial in order for a vineyard to thrive.”

The creation process involves a huge amount of attention, respect, and the use of a special press made exclusively for the company. All the time in the world is given for the juice to develop, situated in 2,000-year-old caves under the hills of the Vallee de la Marne. The juice is released both at the bottom and at the sides of the press simultaneously, resulting in a fresher and cleaner juice, and allowing them to make an extremely crisp Saignee Rose.

Existing at the centre of the luxury realm, De Watère has developed a dreamscape for its customers; a process, devotion and child-like wonder that continues to bring them back each time.

De Watère is extremely proud of their custom retention which has grown immensely over the past twelve years, acting as a constant and dependable partner for champagne enthusiasts. 

Development here has no set time limit. The team continually tastes the product, and then releases it to the market once they feel it is perfect. They currently have three main luxury beverages on the market, with many more exciting products in development. 

“We have the TEN21, which was brought about in 2021 to celebrate 10 years of De Watère. Above that, we have the Prestige Brut Blanc, which we and many of our customers believe, is the epitome of white champagnes. It is also currently our most elaborate product. Finally, we have the Prestige Brut Rose de Saignees – which, to me, is the absolute expression of what champagne should be. It is aromatic, expressive and elegant – these are features that our champagnes all have in common, in ascending strength. They have a wine-like complexity that is light and smooth as silk on the tongue, whilst also retaining diversity and strength.”

Today, De Watère Champagnes are among the most awarded champagnes in the world, most recently winning the James Suckling award in December 2022, along with a plethora of medals from other prestigious tasting competitions.

The qualities of excellent champagne are often defined by its taste, elegance and lightness on the tongue – De Watère is able to offer all of these very sentiments, whilst also providing their customers with a new, authentic experience each time.

“Our house character is defined by its strength, depth and broadness. However, our champagnes have a different taste every iteration, and we sell out frequently,” says Martin. 

“We have the surprise element, but also this consistency that is the perfect expression of the grape during that time. You get the same warm, familiar welcome and pleasurable feeling whilst drinking, whilst also enjoying new aspects each time,” he adds.

Obtaining a range of impressive partnerships, including a longstanding relationship with the Monaco Film Festival, the company is also set to collaborate with the GTC Racing Series in Germany this year, with some exciting news on track to be announced at the Monaco Yacht Show this September.

Pursuing excellence is the founding reason of De Watère. Anything that goes against this, simply cannot survive. The philosophy of turning tradition on its head, combined with sustainable solutions and modern marketing appeals to both experienced connoisseurs and young newcomers, inviting customers who they feel share the same values and a taste for something otherworldly. 

We look forward to seeing what’s next in store for this beloved champagne.