Moet Chandon Headquarter, Epernay

and...we were here
thought of playing touristy in the town of Epernay
yes visiting Moet & Chandon is a must
afterall they are the largest Champagne House in the world
*having cannibalised everything else*

I supposed, everyone's first encounter with champagne has got to start with this brand Moet & Chandon

it's pronounced as Mo-wett & Shah-douh the way Dutch would say it
if u wanna do it the French way, then it's Mo-waay Ay Shah-Dauh
anyway the CORRECT one is the Dutch version
so if u wanna drink it, please say it properly.

established in 1743 by Claude Moet
they have come a long long way

the brand became even more astoundingly huge success and big after it's association with Napoleon
see even those days, ambassadors were important
well having said that, I didn't precisely conclude that he was being used as an ambassador
but connections with certain important notable person is important to market your product/services
*marketing team, point taken*

but our passion was not on Moet & Chandon
it's him!!!!!!
the Benedictine MONK!!!!
and certainly he was the reason we came to this headquarter :D:D:D

yeah what does a monk got to do with champagne making huh?

did he bless or bestow the champagne house?
anyhow there was a controversy that he's the Father of Champagne making
yes Monsieur Perignon discovered the art of champagne making by accident
of recent years, some documents found revealed that Perignon was not the first person who invented sparkling wines....

Long story cut short he is still the Father of Champagne
with other inventions/introductions alongside such as the cork with fastened strings and thicker bottle to prevent explosion *thanks to all the bubblies to make ur champagne yummy*

Monkey & JS
he looked rather wasted and bored
coz he's not a champagne man
but THANK YOU anyway for bringing me here
*Dear Readers, I didn't force him here ok...if u were wondering.....*
I would certainly never ever force him to do anything against his wishes...kekekekekeke

the statue of Dom Pierre Perignon *his full name*
gesturing us the way to open a bottle of bubbly hahahaaha

again u must be wondering...he passed away in 1715
and Moet & Chandon was only established in 1743
just to clear the air...Dom Perignon is a BRAND by M&C
a very important one and gives them a lot of $$$$$$

the lobby of the Champagne House
with a beautiful chandeliers made from hundreds of inverted champagne glasses
noticed the beautiful golden champagne chairs?
I wanna drag one home!!!!

so we did everything a tourist will do here - visiting the Maison
goin ooohhh-ahhhhh-ing at all the beautiful and luxury of the champagne house

overlooking a small garden to the other side
the property/headquarter is really huge

they hold special events at the other side of the road
with another beautiful building with gardens/fountains
just a perfect setup to showcase the brand's creations over the centuries
yes mind u, all these had been in existence since the 18th century

later we were lead down into the cellar
kilometres and kilometres of it
I asked the sweet French guide and she told me "it's 28 kee-loh meh-treh"
freaking 28km!!!!!!

hmmmm this is the case where I dun see any lights at the end of the tunnel
coz there's no ending to this :P

One can seriously get lost in here
and will certainly suffer the chill cold
the temperature here is naturally cool even in summer
to preserve all their 35 millions of stock holdings

Moet & Chandon proclaimed that they only produced that much
only 35 million bottles
but if we really wanna do an actual stock counts from its cellar to its distribution worldwide
it's definitely more than that
well sometimes too big a number is not good thing for them
so we really truly believed that they have under-reported this
*another point to mkt team.....don't make ur product too MASS unless u r selling candies*

the famous long tunnel dedicated to Napoleon the King
this one I can see lights at the end........hahahahaha..........

coz LIGHTS were shining on this precious barrel
one made for Napoleon
the main showpiece for the entire 28km of cellars

finally we were shown limited bottles of Dom Perignon
sitting quietly to be aged

Dom Perignon is special coz it's only produced in vintages
meaning they are only made and produced in the best years
5 million bottles are produced on those special vintages
recommended to age them for 12 years to enjoy its silkiness
so folks it's just in time to pop the Vintange 2000 come December 31st for New Year!!!

last time they used donkeys and horses
now fast clean machines!!!!

after the cellar visit....it's tasting time...
and we had a couple from the year 2002

before visiting Moet & Chandon, we had another visit at another maker
so tasting M&C was a bit difficult
:P sorry!!!!

aiks...how come no options of tasting a bottle of Dom Perignon
surprisingly I found out that the current winemaker for Dom Perignon is Richard Geoffroy
hmmm anyway I will blog soon bout the other champagne maker we went to, also called Geoffroy
prollie this family name is as common as "Lim" in Malaysia :P

after the visit and tasting, we took some time to visit its boutique
of coz it's cheap coz u r at M&C headquarter
I was looking at all the special DP Enotheque collection....so cheap!!!!
I dunno why the prices in Singapore fetched so high....too high I must say

So I was standing with a few different format of bottles common in champagne
on my left are the usual 750ml bottles called "Standard"
those on the right are Magnum (1.5L), Jeroboam (3.0L), Methuselah (6.0L), Salmanazar (9.0L) and Nebuchadnezzar (12.0L)
of coz there are bigger format than these.....
largest being Melchizedek at 30.0L

Berr was here!!!
just for memorabilia :D

it was a very educational visit
and we went home appreciating bubblies more :))))))))))

For more information:
www.moet.com

Brasserie Lutetia, Paris

One of the most historical brasserie at St.Germain de Pres in the 6th Arrondissements of Paris
yea dun ask me why the Metropolitan of Paris is divided into arrondissements
it's "their" thing.....hahahahaha

Paris used to be the World's Largest City from 16th to 19th century
so most buildings in the center arrondissements are really old
even our hotel is 101 years old :)))))))))
and this beautiful classic luxury brasserie is part of the Hotel Lutetia
which is a must go for us

if u are a bread lover, then France is just really for you
with so many Artisan bakeries
eating bread is just never the same again

our seafood platter.....

fresh sea produce are delivered to the brasserie on a daily basis
they have a nice seafood showcase outside the brasserie to entice ur palate
either u choose ur dinner fr the showcase or just order fr its menu

so over here we have some Fine de Claire oysters
they have gradings of oysters here in France
these are Oleron Fine de Claire number 03
along side some sea clams

and over on the other side, we have the prized Belon oysters number 00
I can't really describe the freshness of it
no words for it
I mean where else can u enjoy amazing Belon oysters other than France
freshly shucked too!!!
nothing were needed to enjoy them....just on its own
soon the 2 slices of lemon proves to be decoration only

and special Organic Prawns from Mozambique
*the country in Africa that has got faster Internet/broadband connection than Msia*
yes if u asked, the whole platter is raw hence served on a bed of ice

other "mis-en-place" on the table....
of shallots vinagrette, mustard, mayo and more bread
*their mayo is made fresh hence the stark yellowness innit*
to be eaten together with the seafood platter

creamie buttery snails with wild chanterelle mushrooms
how appropriate to pair both produce fr Earth
I mean mushrooms are very earthy and so are snails too!!!
plus the snails were removed fr its shell...makes it so much easier to nom nom nom
but then again eating escargots fr its shell it's another different story altogether
:)))))))))))))))))))))

Basque pork sausage with more parts fr a pig *and its crunchy ears*
braised in really fat white beans, sweet savoy cabbage
it's a comfort food!!!!!

Boullabaise!!!!
a famous cuisine from Southern France
of fish stew, seafood, carrots and potatoes
all cooked in fragrant saffron juice

Caramelised crispy duck with sweet pear
yeah French are really good with duck
anyhow u must try everything
else how would u know if u like it or not?

I have many friends who stereotyped food
sometimes u just need to encourage or FORCE them to TRY
and the surprised look on their faces when they found it not that difficult afterll
but most of all that it's actually yummy and delicious

well same goes to chomping crispy bugs on the streets of Thailand
it's not something that I like/enjoyed
but then after trying it, it's not a terrible snack
and it's high in protein!!!!
after that, we'll alwiz have deep fried bugs with salt and pepper whenever we are in the Land of Smiles
well as the saying goes --> when u r in Rome, do as the Romans do

Pan Seared Sole Fillet with crispy bacon and basil seeds, grilled sweet red pepper
so difficult to get good Sole Fish in our country
but over here, it's abundance and u can get them everyday anywhere

wwwuuuahahahahaha favourite part of dinner
heeeeeeeeeeeee :))))))))
I don't normaly yearn for desserts coz I'm not so into sugar
more of a savoury person
but in France......

so we have a coconut macaroons, cassis/blackcurrant financier cake and chocolate mousse
the main star has got to be Creme Brulee
everyone swear that it is the best in town!!!!

indeed it's the best
almost like eating our version of toufu-fah!!!!
with its layer of torched sugar on top
got to be the quality of eggs and milk used here
so wat we get here in Msia are fakes....

well what do u think?
all these yummy food in a brasserie
brasserie is equivalent to our kopitiam in Msia
imagine u can get all these in kopitiam
I'm not asking for oysters or creme brulee but at least some decent Msian food and top notch service

Now who can recommend some nice kopitiam to me??

Brasserie Lutetia
Hotel Lutetia
45, Boulevard Raspail,
75006 Paris, France.
Tel: +33 (0) 1 4954 4646
http://www.lutetia-paris.com/en/paris-dining/dining02.aspx

Bollinger Champagne

We had an appointment with Bollinger thanks to Alcoholic Anonymous ST who helped us to arrange this :))))))))))))
*no, he's definitely not an alcoholic :P*

we were rushing from the town of Epernay after another visit at another champagne house
and asked the taxi driver in super broken french whether he can drive like Michael Schumacher, to reach Maison Bollinger in time
we didn't wanna be rude and miss our appointment

our driver shoved his hands on the air to let us know it was easy peasy
nope he ain't driving a Ferrari but just a comfy Renault
and we screeched at the doorstop of Maison Bollinger in 3 mins

"aiks....so near only?"
JS answered in amusement:"Now u know this place is really small....the town of Ay."

Maison Bollinger is so classically beautiful
u know wat I mean???

Founded in 1829, Bollinger is one of the last few remaining independent Champagne houses
well these days, everything has been being bought over by the Giant-Thirst-Hunger Corporations like LVMH
I dunno how many more independent brands will be left in 5 years time
*my company was almost...almost..... bought by LVMH a few years ago.......gawd....*

Bollinger Double 0 Seven 007 *jeng jeng jeng*
every James Bond movie featured at least a bottle of Bollinger
in Britain, it's fondly known as "Bolly"
from James Bond played by Roger Moore to Daniel Craig

Monkey and Madame Lilly Bollinger
she took over the business in 1941 after her husband died
very notable Lady in the Town of Ay

her most famous quote:
"I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty.^"

Madame Bollinger worked very hard to expand the business by purchasing more vineyards
and traveled worldwide to promote the brand

Monkey oso worked very hard.....drinking lotsa champagnes
and traveled around the world too
heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :D
I know...it's not the same

such beautiful post-sunset taken by JS
it was almost dark when Denis the PR Director took us out for the tour that will enlightened us

we were then taken to one of their oldest vineyards across the Maison
the very old stone that marked its property

we had a good 30 mins outdoor discussing the plant
yes the the important plant that bear the beautiful pinot noir grapes to make this sparkling golden perfection

and all the challenges in maintaining a great vineyard
safe from diseases and predators *some forms of insects*
coz if it gets infected....everything has to be uprooted and GONE
GONE!!! all the hundreds years of hard work and cultivation

later we were ushered along its properties which stretches along this lil town of Ay
buildings and underground
we walked a bit more in the chill late autumn cool air
along the quiet streets of Ay
passed some houses, restaurants and was lead into another Bollinger Property

I whispered to JS: "Looks like the whole town of Ay belongs to them :P"
JS let out a small lil composed laugh
wow Bollinger still ferment their champagnes in barrels????
this practice is almost gone and disappear in Champagne region!!!!!!
these days, all Champagne Houses ferment their bubblies in stainless steel tanks

they really stick to their traditions huh?
according to Denis, Bollinger believes in malolactic fermentaion
which can only be achieved with oak barrels
thus creating a much more richer, buttery and rounder tasting champagnes

"Denis, where do u get ur oaks??? coz they certainly looked older than me."
Denis: "Hohohohohoho, we buy the oaks from Burgundy. Yes you are right, these are as old as me. They are half a century old!!!!"

that explains the streaks of red marks on the barrels
coz they were from Burgundy....hmmmmm
I wondered if that contributes to the characteristics of Bollinger Champagne

inside this preserved and controlled environment
the temperature was 17.6 degrees celcius with a humidity of 75%
that's optimum coz u dun want this place to be too dry

later, our private tour lead us to kilometres and kilometres of beautiful champanges aging inside their cellar which happened to be underground

Monkey to JS:
"psttttt....looks like they own the whole underground of Ay town too!!!"

Monkey: "Euwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!"
Denis: "Don't worry....we needs this to help in the process."

Monkey: "Those dust are thicker than my attic!!!"
*like I have one??? -_-*
Denis: "It's very important that we have them, and keep them this way.....and we wash them 3 times with machines before labeling..."

actually the cellar was quite creepy
in this pic...no it's not wat it seems....
it's the entrance to another cave...not some hooded ghostly image with a hood
kekekekekeke

and we rushed through the dimly litted cellar
with Denis leading us out
I can't remember how many kilometres we walked
but we ended up at the garden of the Maison

Once out, and breathing into the chill air
trying to orientate meself...I was surprised to find us at the garden
"Wow....we are here already!!!"
Denis: "Oui Madame, now if you follow me, we'll do some tasting :))))"

a bottle of Rose, which they added exceptional red wine from the Grand Crus plots
consist of:
62% pinot noir
24% chardonnay
14% Meunier

Bollinger tends to age their champagnes longer than the other houses
they have one of the most outstanding collection of 300,000 magnums bottles
of wines which they saved from every harvest *mainly grand and premier crus*
these they aged for 5 to 15 years

we had tasting of these....
my favourite was the La Grande Anne for its body and length
fermented entirely in barrels from only pinot noir and chardonnay grapes
all of its productsion are 100% grand and premier crus

my mission now is to search for a bottle of Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises 2002
100% pinot noir of very very limited production
very very rare

only 3,000 to 5,000 bottles varying depending on vintages
*just to give u an idea and comparison vs MASS production of Moet & Chandon of 35 Million bottles a year*

from its ungrafted vineyards
this idea is to grow grapes that produce less juice so each grapes has got more INTENSITY and RICHNESS

:))))))))))))))
it was such an educational private tour
and we learnt so much from Denis *Thank Gawd he speaks perfect UK English*

he was so sweet and drove us back to the City of Reims after that
which was 45 mins away :)))))))))))

I guess every French said the same thing....
Parisiens and Frenchs are 2 different people huh
so just bcoz u've only been to Paris doesn't mean the French behave that way too
kekekekekekekeke

Big Hugs to Alcoholic Anonymous ST for this arrangement

For more reading on Bollinger:

www.Champagne-Bollinger.com