“On Valentines’ Day I would always buy boxed sets of Perrier-Jouet Champagne with matching glasses so my guests would have a memoir of the evening,” said a well-connected restaurateur at a recent lunch to celebrate past and present vintages of the House of Perrier-Jouet Fleur De Champagne portfolio.
Of course, you know the House of Perrier-Jouet brand – it is easily recognizable by the floral anemone design created by Emile Galle, the master glassmaker of the Art Nouveau movement, in 1902. Just looking at the bottle makes one feel happy, gay, and in the mood to celebrate something fun. And it also takes one back to the fabled Belle Epoque in Paris, when appreciation of gastronomy, wine, and the arts was at its peak.
The star of today’s luncheon is the guardian of the Perrier-Jouet house style since 1993, Herve Deschamps, a very charming, well-spoken gentleman charged with enormous responsibility, as he is only the seventh Chef de Cave in Perrier-Jouet’s 200-year history. As you might suspect, he grew up in the Champagne region where his grandfather grew grapes and sold them to the large Champagne houses. Entranced by the magic of how grapes grown on the best soil turn up in the bottles of the world’s most coveted champagne, young M. Deschamps studied and earned degrees in agriculture and oenology at the university in Dijon, then joined Perrier-Jouet in 1983 as oenologist in charge of the fermentation process and cellar aging of wines before rising to his current position.
In addition to showcasing top vintages, the tasting lunch was also an opportunity to see how easily one can pair the champagne with food. Most Americans consider champagne appropriate for only an aperitif or a toast, yet the Perrier-Jouet champagnes paired well with every course. Upon arrival, guests were poured the Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne Brut 2000, with its crisp, subtle brioche and apple nose.
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1 - Champagne Perrier Jouet
Thanks for this nice article. Hervé Deschamps and all Perrier-Jouët is pleased to give to the world one of the finest champagnes :)