City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 - (Page 23)

All of a sudden a beautiful woman who had visited the house with her husband and two children blurted out, “you know I’ve had this before.” The two English men who had popped over to France for the day to buy two cases of magnums directly from the house for their wine club tasting party looked startled. “Yes,” she continued, “they used to bring this by the shop.” Madame Seydoux assured her that it could very well have been Krug that she enjoyed. It seems that the airline passengers could not finish all of the bottles of champagne on board, and so the crew would slip a few bottles away. Seeing that the woman was our mother, though, we forgave any indiscretion. The Krug family often speaks about their champagne in poetic terms, while remaining intimate with and accessible to the public. One of the most extravagant, refined champagnes in the world, each bottle of Krug is intricately blended and aged in traditional oak casks with care. When Madame Seydoux spoke of her family and their long legacy making champagne, when she described how the bottles are still gradually turned by hand to remove the lees (residue) there was a hint of nostalgia in her voice, sadness perhaps. Later, we found out that Krug had just been bought over by Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) the luxury-brand company that owns everything from Sephora, Guerlain and Fendi, to Marc Jacobs, Veuve Clicquot and Moët and Chandon. LVMH allows Krug the financial backing that the labour and cost-intensive champagne requires. In exchange Krug retains a degree independence. Madame Seydoux went on to say that she enjoyed Krug every night with all different types of dishes. One night it would be Opposite page from top: grapes growing in Reims, a champagne cave; This page (left): a vineyard in the French countryside, different shades of champagne, Madame Seydoux has a captive audience. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JOHN HODDER, COLLECTION CIVC, ALAIN CORNU, COLLECTION CIVC, CSL PRIVATE COLLECTION roast chicken, another night curry lamb, or crêpes. Then, she spoke a word that has echoed through the years, a curious word, particular to French – profiter. Profiter means to have the gumption to do it, to make haste, to take advantage, to make the most of it. It is a word that asks no pardon for thumbing its nose at the so-called rules. “Enjoy your Champagne however you please,” said Madame Seydoux, “and let no one tell you otherwise.” Her ease and affability was refreshing, a marked contrast to the wine snobs who make their knowledge of wine so unbearably pretentious. Here was a member of the family involved in making one of Champagne’s Grande Marques extolling the virtues of being down-to-earth. That was something to drink to. Sipping the delicate mousse, filling our mouths with fireworks, we knew a love affair had begun Champagne, the elixir of celebrations, the favourite of rappers and rock stars is notoriously elegant. It bestows extravagance by association. You can almost tell a person by the champagne they drink, and, conversely, every Champagne seems to impart a personality of its own. Some prefer The Grand Dame (Veuve Clicquot), while others turn their interests to the wise old monk who first discovered the revered drink (Dom Perignon), still others favour the cult-like status that surrounds the creation of one man (Salon). Yet for all its reputation the formula is rather simple - gently press grapes, be careful not to pick up any colour from the skins, ferment, then add yeast and sugar and pour into bottles and leave to ferment for a second time. The variations in Champagne can be accounted for by differences in each step of the process beginning with the idea of terroir – that the soil and the particular micro-climate in which the grapes grow lend it certain unique characteristics. citystyleandliving.com | WINTER 2007/2008 | 23 http://citystyleandliving.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 Contents Editor’s Note Website Behind the Cover Contributors The District Calgary’s Holiday Storefront Windows: Through the Looking Glass Need it Want it Fusion Culinary Adventure Champagne 101: Tiny Bubbles Covet Prêt-à-porter Fashion Adventure Resort Wear Enchanted Evening Passport 24 Hours in Paris Anatomy of... Costa Rica: In Search of the Resplendent Quetzal Final Thought

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

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