Robert Parker, the famed wine critic, once described Henri Giraud as 'the finest Champagne House virtually no one has ever head of' and if it wasn't for Claude Giraud, that would definitely still be the case today.

'My father (Henri Giraud), who was really the first in our family to make champagne, only sold our products in France,' recalls Mr Giraud who was in town for a trade visit late last year.

'All my life, I've seen my father say no to customers, because we never had enough to sell.'

Mr Giraud goes on to explain that it wasn't until 1999, when a good friend told him what a shame it was to keep the wines in France that he started to think about the possibilities of exporting his wines.

'Thankfully, in 1990, we obtained a licence that allowed us to buy grapes from neighbouring growers in the area, prior to which, we could only make wine from our own vineyards,' he reveals.

'It was only because of this that we were able to increase our production to meet the demands both in France and overseas. We do, however, make it a point to keep a close eye on our suppliers to make sure that the quality is up to scratch.'

Popular in Japan

Today, about 30 per cent of the 250,000 bottles that the house produces annually is available for export to countries such as Italy, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Japan (where the champagne is exceedingly popular).

'It's been a long hard road, especially with the big names who can afford to spend a fortune on marketing,' he says with a slight sigh.

'But I think that there is now a return to values and how wine is made.'

While he hopes the brand will gain more recognition internationally, there won't be more than 350,000 bottles a year because 'any more than that and we won't be able to control the quality'.

Unlike many other houses in the wine industry where the reins are passed to the sons, at Henri Giraud, Mr Giraud's daughter will helm the business for the next generation. Emanuelle Giraud is currently directrice generale at Henri Giraud.

'Just because someone from the family carries on the business doesn't mean that quality will follow because champagne-making calls for passion and competence,' he says.

'I am lucky that my daughter is capable and passionate enough about the business to follow in my footsteps. It is not always possible, but to be able to keep things in the family is really the cherry on top of the cake.'

This article was first published in The Business Times.