‘The Veuve Clicquot Rolling Diner’ [Berlin July 5 – July 25, 2011]

The Clicquot Rolling Diner is an unconventional street food concept that has been popping up at random locations throughout Berlin.

The Rolling Diner team has teamed up with Berlin foodies, Chipps to deliver inventive dishes like Trüffel-Currywurst and Crêpe de la Bastille.

An original 1950’s Airstream food wagon has been modified into a bright ‘Veuve Clicquot-yellow’ diner that tours the streets of Berlin serving unique streetfood with champagne. The first stop was KaDeWe for Fashion Week, which was clear to be more than a success.

It is an open, unmarked territory—a gastronomical no man’s land and this is the reason that Veuve Clicquot chose Berlin as the place to execute its concept.
Brand manager, Saskia Farnholz wants to demonstrates that champagne can go with food without diminishing its quality. “We needed something that travels, is visible, and can get across the idea that you can mix street food with champagne—even heavy German food.

The Mystery is Solved: The Most Expensive Champagne in the World was Purchased by “Buyan” a Singapore Russian Restaurant

History was made when Buyan Russian Haute Cuisine & Caviar Bar located in the Republic of Singapore, won the world’s most expensive Champagne in a fierce bidding war. Buyan, which offers both inexpensive traditional Russian fare as well as Russian haute cuisine meant for the Tsars, has paid €30,000 (SGD 43,630) for a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, which is estimated to be 170 years old.

All 145 bottles discovered in the shipwreck were opened, tasted and re-corked with the best two bottles acquired by Buyan. These historical bottles which still have bubbles – indicative of their fine quality – will indeed be drunk one day, but not in the very near future. The Veuve Clicquot Champagne itself is said to have “notes of linden blossoms and lime peels” and was pronounced by world renowned Champagne expert Richard Juhlin, who tasted some of the bottles last year as, “…great… wonderful… with an intense aroma…”

Buyan also paid €24,000 for Juglar, a now-defunct house of champagne that used to be one of the favourites of Napoleon I. He awarded a gold medal to the House of Juglar in 1810, 19 years before the estate was bought over by Jacquesson.
These two bottles will be added to Buyan’s existing collection of seven bottles of 1907 Charles Heidsieck & Monopole Champagnes found in another shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. These were part of a Swedish cargo sunk by a German U-boat during World War I in 1916. These bottles were also on their way to the court of the last Tsar Nicholas II, great grandson of Nicholas I.

Another historical wine in Buyan’s possession is the oldest drinkable wine in Asia, a Vin Jaune from 1821, which will not be put up for sale. Buyan currently also owns 20 bottles of the world’s most rare vintage wines – some of which pre-date the two world wars and are actually available on their wine list including a 1877 Chateau Margaux, a 1883 Lafite Rotschild and a 1859 Mouton Rothschild.

LVMH HAS ANNOUNCED OCTOBER 15TH AND 16TH AS ‘BEHIND-THE-SCENES DAYS’

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy has announced ‘Behind-The-Scenes Days’ at their European artisan workshops, ateliers, and vineyards for two days in October.

WWD reports that on the 15th and 16th of October the public will be able to experience what happens behind the doors of the luxury conglomerate’s brands which include fashion houses Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, and Dior, jewelry maker De Beers, and Champagne labels Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Dom Pérignon.

Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH has recently stated: “Products are one thing, but how they’re made, who makes them, and where is also of interest to the public.”

LVMH is not the first luxury house to come up with this idea of “behind-the-scenes days”, last year Gucci toured the world with its Artisan Project, showcasing its production methods.

Most of events will take place in France and workshops are planned for locations in Italy, Spain, Scotland, and Poland. More information will be released later this month when bookings will go live online.

List of Participating Properties:
Christian Dior Couture, Salon de Haute Couture, Paris
Parfums Christian Dior, Siège Parfums Christian Dior, Paris
Louis Vuitton, Ateliers d’Asnières, Asnières
Berluti, Salons Berluti, Paris
Givenchy Couture, Studio de Création, Paris
Kenzo Mode et Kenzo Parfum, Showroom, Paris
Emilio Pucci, Archives, Italy
Loewe, Showroom, Madrid, Spain
Chaumet, Salons Chaumet, Paris
Guerlain, Maison Guerlain, Paris
Moët & Chandon, Résidence de Trianon, Epernay, Champagne
Dom Pérignon, Abbaye d’Hautvillers, Hautvillers, Champagne
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Hôtel du Marc et Pavillon de Muire, Reims, Champagne
Champagne cellars of Maison Krug and Maison Ruinart, Reims, Champagne
Hennessy, Château de Bagnolet, Poitou, Charentes, Cognac
Chai de la Faïencerie, Poitou, Charentes, Cognac
Quais Hennessy, Poitou, Charentes, Cognac
The Glenmorangie Company, The Glenmorangie Distillery, Scotland
Belvédère, Belvedere Distillery, Poland
Château Cheval Blanc, Aquitaine
Château d’Yquem, Aquitaine
La Grande Epicerie de Paris, Paris
Le Jardin d’Acclimatation, Maison de Kiso, Paris

$70,000 Champagne Cellar

Created by Porsche Design exclusively for the Veuve Clicquot champagne house, the Vertical Limit is a stunning champagne cellar that keeps bottles at their proper temperature (12°C). It has a stainless steel exterior that will leave you breathless. Every piece of the cellar is made by hand, which adds to its quality.

A limited set of 15 Vertical Limit cellars are available for $70 000 a piece, which is not bad considering it comes with 12 magnums of Veuve Clicquot of the best vintage wines.

Trend Hunter

Seth Box, of Moët Hennessy USA, On Champagne Glasses

As director of education for Moët Hennessy USA, Seth Box is responsible for spreading the word about his company’s spirits, wines and Champagnes — including Dom Pérignon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Moët et Chandon and Ruinart — to as many people as possible. Simply put: he regularly takes people out for drinks.

Champagne, he says, shouldn’t be saved for a special occasion. “It’s embarrassing that we, as a country, drink as little Champagne as we do,” Mr. Box said. “Because it’s so much fun, tastes delicious and makes people happy.”

Like most Champagne aficionados, he has definite opinions about the glass in which it should be served. “If you’re someone who appreciates the nuances and finer aspects of Champagnes, the glass is really important,” he said.

He said that while flutes are “great for presentation and showcase bubbles beautifully, from the tasting standpoint, the shape isn’t ideal.” He prefers a shape that is a combination of a white-wine glass and a Champagne glass — one with a bulbous bottom and a narrower top. “You want something with a wineglass on the bottom, to capture the aromas,” he said, which “then tapers up a bit so you focus those aromas on the nose.”

With the holiday entertaining season in high gear, Mr. Box spent a recent morning searching for Champagne-worthy glassware. At Baccarat, on Madison Avenue, he found the Remy stems “boring, but perfect: the bowl will capture the aromas and then focus around the back, and you can hold it without mucking up the glass.” The Vega Flutissimo would probably not be a top pick for sommeliers, but he liked it “because it reminds us that Champagne is also about an aesthetic,” he said. “And the blue crystal adds a touch which is reminiscent of more classic times.”

Nearby, at Lalique, he picked the Facet Champagne flute. “If you’re going to do classic, do this,” he said. “It’s a gorgeous flute.”

Online, he found one of his favorites, the Spiegelau Hybrid. “The deep bowl and larger size allow the Champagne to aerate while still maintaining a sleek look,” he said.

He also liked Govino’s stemless shatterproof design, pointing out that its shape works for many wines and Champagnes, and its price ($12 for four) won’t break the bank.

Ultimately, though, the glass is secondary, he said: “Drink Champagne in anything. If it makes you happy to drink it out of a water cup or a cool little Italian country glass, go for it. Just drink, and be happy.”

New York Times