Researcher Bryan Abrams recently had the great good luck to go on a junket—to Paris!—to drink champagne! Here’s his report:Traveling is a blood sport now thanks to the epic descent of the once mighty dollar, and it pays to be creative in order to get out and about. The mighty press trip is one way to go about it, which is how I found myself in Paris with seven other NY journalists, all to celebrate a watershed moment for France’s famous Champagne, Perrier-Jouet.
So the deal was this; Perrier-Jouet rented out the Paris Opera House on the first night of Spring (March 20th) for the unveiling of a new bottle of bubbly reasonably priced at about $6,500, as well as a program in which the super rich will have the chance to customize their own Champagne for the measly pittance of around $100,000. Apparently the French don’t have any sub-prime mortgage or insolvent mega-banks fiascos to deal with.
About 100 people in the world will be eligible to co-create the first tailor-made champagne in history. For their money, they get to go to Epernay, located in eastern France, where they’ll meet the cellar master Herve Deschamps, at the Pierre Jouet headquarters, the Maison Belle Epoque, a mansion famous for its original art nouveau furniture and artwork.
The event to celebrate this new program involved yet another first; the first time the epic Paris Opera House has been rented out. The historic façade was transformed into a huge floral display, flowers being a trademark of the Pierre-Jouet bottles. I was half drunk by the time I got there, thanks to the bottles of champagne sent to our rooms at the Inter-Continental.
Once inside the lobby, with what appeared to be a thousand-foot ceiling, we ascended a massive grand staircase filled with Russian models and international tycoons and gorgeous French women and myself in a rented tux that didn’t fit right. Thousands of white rose pedals (I think they were roses, but I was too busy trying to keep my head from exploding at all the women pouring in) fell from the glorious ceiling while shimmering screens displayed images of some of the bold face names who were part of Pierre Jouet’s marketing plan. French actress and insane beauty Sophie Marceau, Chinese actress Gong Li, and legendary 60s icon Marianne Faithful all towered above us on the screens, copulating with Pierre-Jouet champagne bottles. Marceau and Li were both in attendance, both stunning, and both weirdly uninterested in striking up a conversation with me.
The dinner, ‘created’ by Michelin 3-star chef (and Chef of the Year in 2007) Mrs. Anne Sophie Pic, was an orgy of flavor that I only recall in a blur of colors and textures. At no time were any one of the three glasses in front of me not filled with a champagne I would have to take a loan out to purchase on any other occasion. The long, mirrored tables that sat the 250 international guests were literally buzzing with energy and alcohol, and the gilded, gold-dripping ceiling replete with massive mural and clinging, bursting sculptures were out of some fever dream.
Even Van Cleef & Arpels, which I had to look up to confirm what they do (I’ve heard the name, but now I know, they’re a famous Parisian jewelry maker) created a jewel, a bespoke cut only for Perrier-Jouët: a white gold and diamond brooch set with 450 round diamonds (18.5 carats in total) and 259 yellow sapphires (7.5 carats). I don’t know what any of that means, but it sounds expensive.
And how was the actual champagne? Well, there were some seasoned food & drink writers in our group, who all seemed enthralled by the nuanced flavors and crispness. Here’s what I can tell you; myself and my friend Bill each had about 20 glasses (men in white gloves would not stop pouring) and, I swear to you, we both woke up relatively hangover free.
Now that’s good champagne.
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On the other end of the spectrum: You can watch Three Sheets host Zane Lamprey (featured on page 21 of the May issue of Playboy Magazine) as he chugs Cristal on his France episode, now available to watch online at: http://www.hulu.com/watch/12398/three-sheets-france