ÉPERNAY, France ― The Comité Champagne, the trade association representing the houses and winegrowers of Champagne, France, announced today that Lori Russo has been named as the Director of the Champagne Bureau, USA. Champagne Bureaus are the Champagne industry embassies abroad. Russo’s tenure as Director will begin on January 1, 2024.
Russo is the president of Stanton Communications, an award-winning Washington, DC-based strategic communications firm. In this role, she supports companies and associations in the consumer products, professional services and technology sectors, with a particular focus on strategic counsel, corporate positioning and issue management. She is a long-time member of the National Press Club in Washington, DC, a founding member of the women’s executive networking group Chief and a regular speaker at industry events.
“The opportunity to work with the wine and gastronomy industries, administration and medias to enhance understanding of the Champagne appellation and the importance of origin is a special privilege,” said Russo. “The Comité Champagne’s worldwide efforts to represent and promote Champagne are significant, and our team looks forward to shaping their initiatives in the United States.”
As Director of the Champagne Bureau, USA, Russo will represent the interests of some 16,200 growers, 130 cooperatives and 370 Champagne houses within the United States. Her team’s efforts will include engaging the media, trade professionals, importers, distributors, policymakers and wine lovers across the country. Russo joins seven other Bureau Directors around the globe who all serve as official Champagne representatives for their respective countries.
“The Champagne Bureaus are key partners in advancing our mission of defending the interests of Champagne appellation worldwide,” said Maxime Toubart, co-president of the Comité Champagne and president of the winegrowers. “We are delighted to have Lori join these efforts and advocate for the Champagne recognition and image within the United States.”
“The U.S. is a critical market for Champagne, leading the world in both volume and value of Champagne shipments in 2022,” added David Chatillon, co-president of the Comité Champagne and president of the houses. “We look forward to Lori continuing to build upon this success in the future.”
The Comité Champagne is the trade association that represents the interests of independent Champagne producers (vignerons) and Champagne Houses. Its mandate is to protect and promote the Champagne AOC across the world through a broad remit that include economic, technical and environmental development; continuous quality improvement; sector management; marketing and communications. Follow the Comité on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to receive the latest news.
