Winemaker

Simon Normand

Discipline: Winemaker
Based in: Bar Sur Seine, France
Venue: Champagne Domaine La Borderie · Winery

i. Biography

Simon Normand works as vigneron at Champagne Domaine La Borderie in Bar-sur-Seine, France, where the frame is Grower Champagne and the brief is to keep place legible. The work rejects a generic finish in favor of wines that carry their origin plainly. As Normand puts it, “We want to make wines that say where they come from, not wines that fit into a box.” That approach puts parcel character ahead of formula, treating Champagne as a set of distinct sites rather than a single style.

The Climb

Formal training at BTS in viti-oeno in Beaune gave Normand the technical base for cellar and vineyard work. In 2008, he began as a trainee at the cooperative to which his parents sold grapes, a position that kept him close to growers, harvest cycles, and the practical conditions of the trade. From 2009–2011, time at Bouchard Père et Fils in Beaune added another layer of experience, followed by work at Domaine Fleury in Aube. By 2013, Normand had taken on the role of vigneron at Champagne Domaine La Borderie, where the emphasis has remained on origin, repetition, and the slow accumulation of judgment.

Today

At Champagne Domaine La Borderie in Bar-sur-Seine, France, the work centers on parcel identity and on drawing distinctions rather than smoothing them out. The estate’s grower-Champagne outlook is used as a framework, not an endpoint; the point is to show what the land contains. Normand describes the method directly: “We have led a reflection around the identity traits of each cultivated parcel in order to produce wines in a highly advanced parcel selection logic. We think terroir and above all micro-terroir.” In practice, that means the smallest differences matter most: one plot, one exposure, one set of conditions at a time.

Career - vigneron — Champagne Domaine La Borderie, Champagne (2013–present) - training — the cooperative to which his parents sold grapes (from 2008) - worked — Bouchard Père et Fils, Beaune (2009–2011) - worked — Domaine Fleury, Aube Education: BTS in viti-oeno in Beaune

Signature

Simon’s signature wines include L'arpent oublié - Pinot Blanc - Plantation 1954 - Brut Nature. The cuvée fits the same register as the rest of the work: specific, traceable, and built to hold the character of a single place without pushing it into a broader template.

In Their Words “We have led a reflection around the identity traits of each cultivated parcel in order to produce wines in a highly advanced parcel selection logic. We think terroir and above all micro-terroir.” “We want to make wines that say where they come from, not wines that fit into a box.”

Recognition

Grower Champagne that speaks clearly of place, personality, and passion. Its guiding philosophy is origin over category: wines should say where they come from, not fit into a box.

FAQ What is Simon Normand's current role? As of 2026, Simon Normand is vigneron. Where did Simon Normand train or study? Simon Normand trained at BTS in viti-oeno in Beaune. What is Simon Normand known for? Grower Champagne that speaks clearly of place, personality, and passion.