Happy Birthday, Perrier Jouet – Paris Style

To say the Perrier Jouet Anniversary Gala was over the top would be an understatement. Beaux-arts de Paris was filled with exquisite photographs of everyone and every time of the champagne. As we walked along through the gallery, we were all dressed to the nines and then some.  I had meticulously picked out a long black dress with a white beaded lace top and a graduated overlay over the black jersey bottom which fit in perfectly and it was certainly the perfect setting to sip Champagne.

The evening included the picture of French elegance herself, actress Catherine Deneuve and her son, actor Christian Vadim, as well as model Jeri Hall and her daughter Georgia May Jagger, who is currently following in her footsteps as a model, and actor Alain Delon. Also on hand was Pernod Ricard royalty, including Chairman Lionel Breton and Cellar Master Hervé Deschamps, and the executives of the company's U.S. distributor, Southern Wine & Spirits.  I was honored to be one of only a handful of journalists invited and took in every moment.

After the cocktail hour, the curtain rose to reveal the magnificent tables laden with beautiful fresh white flowers, just like on the unmistakable Perrier Jouet bottles. The waiters brought out the first champagne – the soon to be released Belle Epoque 2004, a fast favorite of mine – in unison to the music.  We were treated to stunning footage of the house history and the unveiling of Daniel Arsham’s masterpiece as we sipped the Belle Epoque 1998, served from magnums like those which will be encased in the art.  A musical performance by British artist VV Brown topped off the evening. 

The only thing that wasn’t spectacular was the food – at least not for me.  Once again, Chef Jean-Louis Nomicos chose to ignore his advance notice of those with allergies as well as vegetarians.  We were simply told he had no time to make anything else besides his fish-filled menu that also included a tough piece of poultry that no one could quite define.  I did enjoy the ice cream in raspberry sauce and was not about to let the one chef in France I don’t like ruin and truly magnificent evening put on by Perrier Jouet, the staff of whom did everything possible to try to fulfill our needs.

After the gala, we were off to the after party at Pershing  Bar (the one in Paris, not the treehouse in Champagne). It was full of beautiful views and I finished my evening with a final toast to Perrier Jouet’s 200th birthday.


Photos by Jean Picon, with the exception of the picture of Catherine Deneuve and Christopher Vadim, from Celebrity Harcourt.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Denver Beer and Connecting with Friends

Image
It was day two of my press trip with SpringHill Suites Downtown Denver and Infinite Monkey Theorem Wine . We had tasted and paired the wine on day one , and now it was time to check out some more food and beer. Our schedule didn’t start until 9:30 a.m. so we got to sleep in a bit, which was much needed after the late night. We got started by all meeting for breakfast. The SpringHill Suites offers a nice hot breakfast to begin with, and the chef from the Degree restaurant next door brought us some scones and treats to go with it. After breakfast, we all piled back into our limousine to hit some of the breweries of Denver in the nearby LoDo and RiNo Art District. Even though I don’t drink beer, the tours were fun and informative as we went through Wynkoop Brewery, Falling Rock Tap House, and Epic Brewing. We then went back to the SpringHill Suites to say goodbye. Most of the group was heading home, but I decided to stay another day.
Read more

Last Day in Champagne-Robots & Bars in the Trees

Image
Our final day in the Champagne-Ardenne region was quite an unusual one, as we learned about and drank bubbly in the strangest places. Our first stop was in Trėpail.  I always thought I was a multitasker, but here I met a woman who certainly outdid me.  Madam Maizieres owns a champagne house. That in itself is not unusual for a woman in 21 st century France.  She decided, however, that she wanted everyone to learn about French in the most unusual way, so she created Pré en Bulles , an automated robotic show which takes you through 12 lessons (in your choice of four languages) in a fun and informative way.  At the end , there’s a puppet show with special effects George Lucas would appreciate, explaining champagne from the cultural aspect of how it relates to food and France. After the show, Madam Maizieres took us through the beautiful apartments and bed and breakfast she rents with incredible views of the quaint town of Trėpail.  Then we tasted some of the champagnes she makes und
Read more

My Thoughts as I Disembark the American Queen Steamboat Cruise

Image
It had been a wonderful trip heading north on the Mississippi River. The American Queen Steamboat experience was like no other cruise either Lynn or I had previously experienced. We were all packed to go and it was much easier than usual because we had my van waiting at St. Louis Airport. After a leisurely breakfast, we were able to just hang shopping bags on my scooter and head out without worrying about going through security and getting on a plane. The other thing that was nice was not having to go through a huge cruise terminal or deal with customs. We had a leisurely breakfast, walked off the boat, and got on the bus to the airport. A big thank you to America Queen Voyages for hosting us on this adventure. Lynn and I had a great time on this cruise. Here’s a break down of more detailed opinions:     The Boat Elegant is probably my best description for the American Queen. The boat definitely makes you feel like you are back in the 19 th century and expect to see Mark Twa
Read more