A finely honed skill of nose, palate, and curiosity

Each of our four found their way to R&D (or rather R&C as we like to call it at Maison Ferrand with the C standing for Creation) by a different path, but with the same common thread: a fascination with raw materials and a drive to understand how they transform and express themselves. They work in constant dialogue with Alexandre Gabriel, founder of the Maison and Master Blender for over 35 years, who brings the vision, exacting standards, and boldness behind every creation.

Fannie dreamed of a life creating perfumes before discovering the aromas of wine, then spirits. She found a creative outlet where "combining nose and palate" takes on its full meaning. Lucie speaks of the richness and technical diversity of the craft; Alix, of the creative freedom; Charlotte, of the desire to contribute both to creating new products and to perfecting laboratory methods.

Here, they've all found a space to experiment, learn, and push boundaries.

"Our job is a bit like being chefs... except our kitchen is a laboratory, and our recipes are liquids that we imagine, blend, and improve. We evaluate, we adjust, we create fragrances, flavours, sensory sensations. Basically, we make recipes like chefs, but with a scientific twist." - Charlotte, R&D Project Manager

The laboratory, a space for experiments and... exciting surprises

If you ask them what a typical day looks like, the answer is simple: there isn't one.

Priorities shift, urgent requests pop up ([ED] the marketing team apologises…), trials follow one another between analyses, tastings, fermentation, macerations, or moments of sharing knowledge with visitors.

"That's what makes it interesting," notes Fannie. "It goes in all directions, everywhere, all the time."

Alix describes a schedule "well organized... until an unexpected request changes everything."

At the heart of this activity, the senses stay alert. The lab has its own distinctive smells: the high esters that make their presence known, the woody notes from analyses, and that slight burnt-dusty scent typical of the equipment. A very particular work fragrance... and one that's impossible to forget.

Four approaches, one shared alchemy

In this department, complementarity is key. They share the same dedication, and their expertise spans a wide range: yeasts, blending, analytical tools...

Their personalities and skills come together for the greater good of the team. Fannie highlights Alix's establishment of microbiology as a major milestone: for the first time, the laboratory could explore fermentation as a genuine creative frontier, understand the role of micro-organisms, test yeasts, and develop new aromatic profiles. A new door had opened.

Charlotte found her place in the blink of an eye, with an ability to evaluate, distil, analyse, even when a green olive distillate stubbornly refuses to smell like olives. Lucie, meanwhile, brings remarkable precision: she fine-tunes protocols, tracks variations, and drives the various experiments forward.

Each one brings her perspective, her energy, her humour. "Creative, intelligent, funny" summarizes Fannie. "Skilled, tight-knit, fun" the team adds.

Inspirations that forge vocations

While their paths to get here differ, each carries her own story of inspiration. And again, it's the people and their values that matter more than gender.

For Fannie, a role model is above all "a human with values and expertise." She readily cites Pierrette Trichet, one of the first female cellar masters in Cognac, who profoundly shaped the discipline.

Closer to her, she also finds great daily inspiration: her own colleagues.

Lucie remembers her first physics and chemistry teacher, the person who awakened her love for science and guided her toward this craft she holds dear.

Creating emotions

What drives them is the ability to transform hypotheses into tangible creations, to surprise, to make people feel.

Creating emotions: that's what it's all about, and each has her own vision of the moment when someone tastes one of their creations.

Fannie loves when a product brings back a memory, a smile, a childhood reminiscence or a journey. Lucie hopes to spark the desire to come back for more. Alix seeks surprise, the unexpected, something never smelled before. Charlotte loves when tasters find in an aroma a deep intrinsic memory or a descriptor that belongs only to them.

They all share the same ambition: for every creation to touch, evoke, surprise, and tell a story to whoever discovers it.

A team united by drive and humour

If the R&D department had a soundtrack and a film, the team agrees on an atmosphere of humour, ingenuity, and team spirit. Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cléopâtre (the beloved French comedy) comes out on top, for its mix of impossible challenges, resourcefulness, and shared laughter. The team readily compares it to their daily life: they're given three months to build a palace, and they always find a solution...

For music, the picks range from "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, "The Bare Necessities," to "We're All in This Together," a symbol of their solidarity.

And when unexpected requests come in, MacGyver, or even Breaking Bad, takes over: improvisation, clever workarounds, experiments that might raise eyebrows from the outside... but always perfectly legal, of course!

Their outlook also shows in the advice they would give to those who'd like to follow in their footsteps: believe in what you do, persevere even when the path seems difficult, be yourself, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Some Maison Ferrand products required more than four years of research and hundreds of recipes before seeing the light of day, Planteray Cut & Dry or Citadelle 0.0 (currently available in France and Italy only), so they know what they're talking about!

In every Maison Ferrand creation, there's a bit of their handiwork, their patience, their intuition. These incredible women don't sign their work on the label, but through the sensation it leaves behind.