May 23, 2014
Chef Alléno with Moët & Chandon cellar master Benoît Gouez
LVMH-owned Champagne maker Moët & Chandon is inviting enthusiasts to its estate in Epernay, France, where chef Yannick Alléno will prepare pairing dishes at a month-long pop-up restaurant.
Open to the public, the pop-up restaurant LE &, will be held in the Champagne maker’s reception space, L’Orangerie with bookings open from June 9. By inviting enthusiasts and food lovers in the area to its estate, Moët & Chandon will be better positioned to share its heritage in an interactive way.
"[A pop-up restaurant] locks the idea of a famous chef with the Moët & Chandon brand," said Al Ries, founder and chairman of Ries & Ries, a Roswell, GA-based marketing strategy consultancy. "[Also,] it is probably a lot less expensive to use the Moët & Chandon estate rather than renting restaurant space in some city.
"The participation of a famous chef lends credibility to the Moët & Chandon brand," he said. "It might help improve the perception of the brand and lead to greater sales."
Mr. Ries is not affiliated with Moët & Chandon, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Moët & Chandon did not respond by press deadline.
Food for thought
Sharing a meal is considered by many to be an intimate affair. By hosting a tasting dinner, Moët & Chandon will become a large element of the experience and will likely leave a lasting impression on those who attend.
At LE &’s helm is three-time Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno. Chef Alléno was awarded his third Michelin Star at only 40 years old and currently works at Le 1947 at Hôtel Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, France.
The announcement of the LE & pop-up also marks Chef Alléno as the official chef of Moët & Chandon. Both the Champagne house and Chef Alléno feel that the world of gastronomy is an innovative art form and plan to “break new ground” to enhance wine and food pairings.
Moët & Chandon’ L’Orangerie reception space where LE & is being held
Moët & Chandon’s Culinary Concept goes beyond food and wine pairings to create a unique experience where every aspect of Champagne is considered. The tasting menu is paired with Moët Impérial, Grand Vintage 2006, Grand Vintage Collection 1999 and Grand Vintage Collection 1985.
For $615 per person, guests to the Moët & Chandon LE & pop-up will enjoy the dinner prepared by Chef Alléno as well as a private cellar tour prior to the meal.
Chef Alléno worked with Moët & Chandon Chef de Cave, or cellar master, Benoît Gouez to create a series of recipes available for download from the Champagne maker’s Web site. Allowing attendees, as well as those unable to attend, to recreate the experience will keep awareness of the limited-time event high.
Chef Alléno with Moët & Chandon cellar master Benoît Gouez
The recipes are “a new expression of the house’s ‘art de la table,’” where the menu was created around the selected Champagnes rather than the other way around, as is typical with food pairings. Each recipe file includes a starter, main course and dessert created around a specific Champagne.
For example, the recipe suite for Impérial summer includes marinates langoustine lobster with green apple jelly to start, a main course of chicken fricassée with seaweed and whelk jam and a meringue soufflée with almond milk and white peach for dessert. Additional downloads pair plates for Impérial Champagne during winter, Moët Rosé Impérial and Moët Nectar Impérial.
Chef Alleno's main course of chicken fricassée for Moët & Chandon's Impérial summer menu
The recipes are available for download on Moët & Chandon’s Web site. Reservations can be booked June 9 through July 9 on a separate page.
Getting to know you
Sixty-eight percent of luxury industry insiders believe digital marketing is not an effective method to reach ultra-high-net-worth individuals, according to a report by Wealth-X.
While social media accounts and content rich Web sites can bolster brand awareness, they do not lead directly to sales or client acquisition for the wealthiest clients. To reach these important clients, providing unique experiences to the right people is considered the best approach (see story).
In the food and beverage sector, for example, French Champagne house Krug celebrated its annual Grande Cuvée blend with a live tasting event in London that married the sound of Champagne bubbles and live orchestra music.
During April 7-11, Champagne and music lovers joined Krug in unveiling its latest recreation of its Grand Cuvée while enjoying the music of London’s Philharmonia Orchestra and tasting the 2014 vintage at The Loading Bay in Shoreditch, London. (see story).
Sharing the recipes continues the partnership's reach organically as the at-home chefs will likely make the dishes for a special occasion or valued guests.
"There are really two kinds of people," Mr. Ries said. "Foodies who do a lot of creative cooking at home and the rest of us who see cooking as a chore.
"The recipes will obviously appeal to foodies who are always looking for something new and different," he said. "Furthermore, foodies are often perceived by their friends and relatives as experts.
"So their opinions are often sought for such things as what types of wine to buy. Moët & Chandon hopes that the recipes and publicity will drive more foodies into recommending Moët & Chandon Champagne."
Final Take
Jen King, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York
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