I don’t know about you, but I could have a good glass of Rosé anytime of the day. Her Campus at UCLA had the opportunity to speak with Bodvár Hafström, the founder and CEO of Bodvár House of Rosés (this year’s Rosé of Cannes). Bodvár House of Rosés also started the National Rosé Day holiday, which takes place annually on the second Saturday of June. The French brand has had over 170 years of tradition and experience, making the perfect bottle of Rosé. They have recently held several events at Cannes of which many celebrities such as Luka Sabbat, Penelope Cruz, Ashlee Simpson and Antonio Banderas attended. Talk about star power!
Her Campus: Tell us about yourself! Where are you originally from? What are some of your passions?
Bodvár Hafström: My family has a 170-year long history in both alcohol and tobacco. Our family brand, Grönstedts Cognac, is one of the world’s most prestigious cognac brands. Our rich history is very important to us, and while we remain true to our heritage we also implement innovations to keep our brands relevant and contemporary for our consumers. Bodvár House of Rosés is the most recent branch of my family tree of beverages and luxury products. My aim was to discover the best rosés around the world and produce them under one entity. The Bodvár House of Rosés brand is young, trendy, sexy and fashionable, but at the same time, it’s a product with tradition and history. Bodvár is the world’s only truly specialized rosé house. Our rosés should not only be wines to share during the finer moments in life, but also be able to provide one with a holistic experience. Our customers are our soul, and we strive to create long lasting relationships and experiences with them.
HC: What does a day in the life as the CEO of Bodvár House of Rosés look like? What gets you through the day?
BH: I don’t think I really have a “regular day.” One day is never the same and that’s how I love it: to wake up in the morning and not know what the day has to offer. Everyday has new possibilities and challenges and I love them equally as much. I travel quite a lot since we work with markets across the globe, and that’s a true privilege to meet and experience new people, cultures, environments and at the same time work with my passion: Bodvár House of Rosés. I love experiences and impressions and try to really live in the moment and appreciate every day. Maybe that is also a way for me to stay creative and always be in a developing process. But, I do also love daily routines like having breakfast and dinner with my family, the daily goodnight kiss from my kids, reading through all the morning newspapers and I always end my day with all the news over again on TV and evening papers.
HC: How do you determine what a good Rosé bottle is? What are some things you look out for?
BH: I think a good rosé is the style and type of rosé you like. All palates are different and there is a rosé for everyone. Personally, I love a dry rosé that has a nice and elegant structure, which is beautifully aromatic on the nose, with a beautiful fruit core, a well-balanced acidity and a smooth and creamy finish.
HC: It’s a common myth that Rosé is only for females. What do you have to say to that?
BH: Real men drink pink.
HC: What are your favorite aspects of your job? What are the most challenging?
BH: I’m very blessed to be able to work with a beautiful, elegant lifestyle brand such as Bodvár and that I’m able to bring life to my visions. There are so many possibilities within our segment and I love that! The wine industry overall is fantastic to work in, but the challenges are many too. And to balance family and work is for sure the most challenging one. My family and work are my life and it’s always a challenge to balance them both of course. I’m very fortunate with a wonderful family and luckily we have found a good balance and way of life together. It’s all about giving, loving, understanding and having respect for each other. I travel a lot, but try not to be away more than a week at a time. Sometimes I bring the family on my trips. I´m also very happy to have FaceTime.
HC: How did your idea for “National Rose Day” come about?
BH: Since we have a great passion for rosé and were there during the rise of the rosé trend, we wanted to create a special day for rosé and all rosé lovers. Rosé is so much more than just a wine – it’s a lifestyle and we wanted to create a day where you could celebrate that life – the life of Bodvár Rosés. All of life’s moments are wonderful with rosé!
HC: What advice would you give to students that want to enter into the Spirits industry?
BH: Be openminded, network a lot and learn from your own experiences as well as people experienced in the industry.
For more information about Bodvár House of Rosés, please visit their website at bodvarrose.com. Keep up to date with the brand on Instagram and on Twitter!