While recollecting my thoughts and trying to take a bit of a break ~ i've also found myself cleaning up my computer, and while doing so, discovered a lot of posts in the making... that never quite made it! So here's some more catch up. I spent most of yesterday running around LA (and the outskirts) hunting and researching for the house i'm working on (under construction! i get to move in soon!) ~ and in doing so, finding myself thinking about so many details i hadn't paid such careful attention to before, and things that reminded me about the Manoir de Verzy ~ the Country House of Madame Veuve Clicquot that we visited, and i'm ashamed that i hadn't gotten these pictures up for you sooner!

There were so many fascinating details to this house and its gardens and being able to visit the actual vineyards ~ consider this a photo essay of sorts taking you through some of my most memorable images while there. This house is where we learned about vintages (even tasting our birth years! mine was a delicious vintage in '82) and Dégorgement à la volée in the Vieux Pressoir with Cyril Brun, the wine communications head and wine maker ~ followed by aperitif and specially crafted, perfectly paired lunch with Stéphane Gerschel - International Communications Director, Andrea Crippa - International Marketing Director, Cyril Brun, Felix Bocquet - Quality and Environment Director, followed by a walk through the vineyards with the Veuve Clicquot Vineyards director, Christian Renard. (All before taking off to our surprise helicopter ride!). It was at this lunch that Andrea gave us that sneak peek of the Ice Cube and i showed you some of the tile i loved. Anyhow, so on house shopping, and all the little details that make a house a home, take a peek at some of the quarters where VIPs stay with Veuve Clicquot, and the beautifully inspiring views across the vineyard on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "Veuve Clicquot Country House Inspirations"! ----->

Tags: champagne - france - home - luxury - travel - veuve clicquot - wine

I saw the Veuve Clicquot Globalights designed by Karim Rashid in their true light... honestly, seeing them in press photos and at the launch did not do the design justice... the juxtaposition of the sleek modern pink glow, with the ancient, history filled caves, give them an incredibly surreal context... they were absolutely stunning in the dark depths of the roman limestone caves that double as cellars underneath Reims for the delicious Veuve Clicquot... and as such, i couldn't help taking photographs of its mesmerizing light, as it provided an incredible glow as our hand held lanterns as we toured the caves and learned about the process in the perfectly cool (same temp all year round!) space... looking at the pictures, i'm amazed how incredible the lighting turned out for what seemed so incredibly dark at the time... now if only we could PLAN some incredible photoshoot down there to make use of the space even more creatively (in addition to making champagne, of course!)... see the photo spread on the next page!

p.s.
unfortunately the only thing missing in these pictures is having an actual bottle IN the Globalight... ironically we were surrounded by bottles constantly though!

TO PAGE 2 of "Les Crayeres by Globalight"! ----->

Tags: champagne - drinks - lighting - luxury - travel - veuve clicquot

On fascinating lore (surrounded by rumors and speculation) ~ in Notre Dame de Reims (where nearly all the kings of france have been crowned) in the stained glass windows of the south transcript... there are yellow labeled champagne bottles which we heard from someone who heard from someone that Veuve Clicquot played such a large role in the history of the region over the centuries that you even see it in the stained glass. Speculate as to whether its complete fabrication, conspiracies of the past, the first product placement, etc as you wish... i'm just showing you what we found in those windows, so you can join in on the fun too. See larger images of these wine making panels on the next page!

By the way, standing in such a large cathedral, late for the bus, trying to play the equivalent of 'where's waldo' on a huge wall of stained glass is harder than expected...

TO PAGE 2 of "Stained Glass Product Placement"! ----->

Tags: champagne - france - travel - veuve clicquot

I've thought and rethought and dreamt about how to describe this trip, how to break up the posts, how to tell you about all of the incredible things that have happened in the last three days, and somehow it all comes across sounding quite possibly a bit gushy and cheesy. So, you know what? I'm just going to be completely honest with all of you, and even though i have about 1000+ pics of so many insane adventures and stories, here's the plan: i'm going to work my way through them in images, sharing with you piece by piece, scattered with little stories as i remember them.

The official aspect of this Veuve Clicquot France trip has come to an end, and most of the other bloggers are headed back home, my new Veuve Clicquot family has been kind enough to put me up for 5 more nights so i can cover Paris Design this week at Maison & Objet. So about that family thing, i kid you not that it feels like we were all adopted by the Veuve Clicquot family, everyone from the president, to communications, to brand managers, to sommeliers, and more welcomed us with open arms, and were so kind (and insanely playful, passionate, and full of life) - it felt far more like hanging out with your long lost aunt than meeting with the president of multinational, centuries old, champagne powerhouse. Also, what's more inspiring than constantly hearing the lore of Madame Clicquot, and in a one liner... a woman who was widows at 27, who manages to revolutionize the champagne industry through a multitude of innovations, and becomes the richest woman in europe in a time where women held few rights? (So, at 25, i guess i have a lot of work to do to catch up someday!)

Ok, but, moving along ~ HELICOPTER RIDE! I'd never been on a helicopter, and the crazy, secret loving itinerary planners of this trip worked in massive surprises for us everyday where even the drivers didn't know what was up until we arrived. So imagine the looks on our faces when we pulled up to L'aerodrome Reims Prunay? And when we are whisked into "the rolls royce of helicopters" (leather seats, Bose headsets, etc), and soon peering over at the champagne region from bird's eye view, watching all of the tiny people, vast vineyards, circling the mountain... then suddenly you see it. Madame Clicquot's historic Boursault Castle. Mind. Blowing. Go see the rest of the images on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "Helicoptering over Champagne"! ----->

Tags: champagne - france - luxury - Operation Window Seat - travel - veuve clicquot

Over lunch at Madame Clicquot's Country House, Andrea Crippa, Directeur Marketing & RP International for Veuve Clicquot, gave us a first look at a prototype of their latest design collaboration with Porsche Design which is said to launch in 2009.

Here is your first look at the Veuve Clicquot Ice Cube. "PRESS. CHILL. SHARE." This is the ice bucket you want the next time you're stuck in the middle of a desert with good friends and a bottle of champagne... While it looks like a mere ice bucket in the classic Veuve color at first... once you pop the top, you will find two specially designed champagne flutes and two buttons. Now the magic about this design is the technology ~ after 5 years of r&d ~ Veuve Clicquot has developed a system that will instantly cool a bottle of champagne in around 20 minutes, and keep it at the perfect chilled temp for 4 hours... The cooling core can be used twice (or for 8 hours in one go) - and after that you can use the bucket the old fashioned way by filling it with ice! It is currently unclear whether there may be options to buy refill cores to futher use the instant cooling system that draws heat out of the bottles and into a heating stone... perhaps they'll even get creative and devise some other options to insert into this nice simple ice bucket. See the next page for pics of the prototype and packaging.

p.s.
How beautiful are these tiles? I needed a good excuse to share them, and they were such a nice contrast to the bright ice cube, i couldn't resist being that girl that sat on the floor shooting pictures of a prototype while the others had coffee.

TO PAGE 2 of "Veuve Clicquot + Porsche Design Ice Cube"! ----->

Tags: champagne - drinks - gifts - luxury - packaging - reviews - shopping - veuve clicquot

"July 30th Whiskey Blue at W Los Angeles - Westwood debuted a month-long Piscine experience which is complemented by an installation by world-renowned Spanish designer Jaime Hayon - whose work transcends the borders of art and design. Crafted from Suryln, a material commonly used in molded luxury goods, the striking piece morphs into a satellite champagne bar that is inspired by the brand's iconic and extravagant red color. "

Is it weird that i wish i had this in my future studio? NOTCOT regulars know how i love the glossy lacquered clean modern look of Jamie Hayon's designs ~ (and am still lusting after that bath tub!) Remember his previous collaborations with Champagne Piper-Heidsieck? He created a beautiful champagne bucket and champagne bowl, and has continued the styling and colors of those pieces into this larger piece which i suppose is more like a champagne bathtub and lamp in one. The glossy quilted texture of the lampshade just keep drawing me in. See more images on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "Jaime Hayon for Champagne Piper-Heidsieck"! ----->

Tags: champagne - drinks - furniture - travel

I found myself browsing the Moët & Chandon site, and quickly pulled into their gorgeous section flying you through their heritage (fascinating stuff...) as well as the behind the scenes video of the new "be fabulous" campaign that was shot in NY by photographer, Roxanne Lowit. And then from a product perspective, i had to share the new Moët Rosé Indulgence Coffret ~ you know how i can't resist the sleek glossy black lacquer... and although not usually a huge pink fan, i do like my Rosé, and there's something so appealing about this "18th centure boudoir, a world of indulgence and richesse..." inspired coffret... nice touch having it under lock and key - complete with big pink tassel. More close ups on the next page...

TO PAGE 2 of "Moët Rosé Indulgence Coffret"! ----->

Tags: champagne - drinks - gifts - moet & chandon - shopping