Dom Perignon

The Classicist: Celebrating the Season in Style with Range Rover at Wheatleigh

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Wine, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist

Click above for high-res image gallery. Photos exclusive to Luxist.

Winter can be a long, cold interlude verging on a test of endurance in the Northeast, and it's all too easy to get bogged down by the doldrums. Plenty of people either hibernate by their hearths or hit the beach until the mercury makes its ascent, but there are myriad ways to keep warm with style, verve and panache. We recently gathered some of our favorite accessories of the season at Wheatleigh, the majestic mansion-turned-luxury hotel in the heart of the Berkshires' winter wonderland. Getting us there in style and comfort through anything the weather cared to concoct was the 2011 Range Rover Sport, a luxurious way to see the landscape safe in the knowledge that the elements have met their match. The pedigreed SUV's smooth, refined, performance and rugged good looks mark it as a thoroughbred in all respects, a suitably stylish conveyance for arriving at a desirable destination like Wheatleigh. And we had the great new Olympus PEN E-PL1 compact, versatile digital camera on hand to record it all for your vicarious enjoyment.

Wheatleigh, located in Lenox, Mass. next door to Edith Wharton's famed country manor The Mount, is a grand estate based on a 16th century Florentine palazzo built in 1893 by New York financier Henry H. Cook for his daughter who married a Spanish count. Many of the materials and over 150 artisans were brought from Italy to produce intricate carvings and design flourishes for the grand interiors and facades. Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York, was responsible for creating "Wheatleigh Park" on the land surrounding the palazzo. Following a four year multimillion dollar renovation it was transformed into one of the most unique luxurious small hotels in the world. The nineteen suites, guest rooms and baths artfully combine antiques and custom furnishings with original museum quality contemporary art. The baths are finished with English limestone, marble and hand-blown glass fixtures, and most rooms feature fireplaces and Bang & Olufsen TVs. Check out the gallery to see the perfect accoutrements for a stylish seasonal sojourn – from books to watches, champagne to cashmere sweaters, and boots to bags – no matter where your journey takes you.

Gallery: Range Rover at Wheatleigh Dec. 2010

Graf & Lantz wool felt Boat Bag, personalized Tumi Alpha wheeled case.

Tumi Alpha case; Dom Perignon Tribute to Andy Warhol edition; Private Stock jeans; Graf & Lantz Quiver wine carrier w/ Robert Mo

Tags: Bang Olufsen, Berkshires, Brooks Brothers, Central Park, champagne, Dom Perignon, Edith Wharton, estates, Frederick Law Olmsted, gardens, Holiday 2010, L.L. Bean, Lenox, luggage, luxury hote, mansion, Massachusetts, mens style, New England, Olympus, Olympus PEN E-PL1, palazzo, Persol, Ralph Lauren, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, spirits, stolichnaya, sunglasses, SUV, teNeues, The Mount, Tumi, vodka, Wheatleigh, winter

Holiday Gift Guide: Wine And Spirits Gift Packs

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wings

Let's face it, the hour is nigh. Time is running out, and most likely patience and gifting creativity are following close behind. Don't fret, as these holiday gift packs have both brilliant packaging and a coveted payload contained within. Grab one and declare Holiday Shopping 2010 over.

Dom Pérignon Side By Side ($600)

Two bottles, two vintages. A Vintage 1996 and a Oenothèque 1996, both contained in one handsome case. Two birds, one stone. Next.

Tags: Ardbeg, dom perignon, gift packs, holiday gift guide, holiday gift guide 2010, macallan, Rare Wine Co., spirits, wine

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Holiday Shopping Guide: 13 Great Luxe Champagnes

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Festive and bright, who can deny bubblies at this time of year? But for 2010, don't think just New Year's Eve, think Twelve Days of Christmas, and you can toast each of the twelve days with the true Breakfast of Champions: Champagne.

The following Vintage Champagnes cannot be beat; some have pedigree that you'll have heard of before; some will be new to you, and that's part of their appeal, and some will be pink. Each will be a perfect companion for daily holiday breakfast or brunch.

Here, then is a list of favorites in order of price-certainly not in order of quality.

Henriot Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1996

Some say this is the freshest of Champagnes; that just might be true. Its aromas are fresh fruit, with a touch of caramel and spice ($125).

Billecart-Salmon 1990 Grande Cuvée.

Its tight, slowly rising bubbles brings out this wine's toast and red fruit aromas, followed in the taste by full-bodied power and a lengthy finish ($125).

Tags: champagne, Dom Perignon, Dom Ruinart, G.H. Mumm, krug champagne, Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne, Salon 1997, Taittinger

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Taj Mahal Palace Hotel's Luxe Liquor Cabinet for Obama

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

If President Obama wants to drown out the sorrow of the mid-term elections this week during his visit to India, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel where the President is staying is ready for the U.S. Commander-In-Chief.

Despite the fact that Obama is known to only rarely imbibe alcohol (just beer in public) , the hotel, according to media reports in India, is stocking the following to offer the President. With a selection like this, Obama might be tempted to tipple to take the edge off the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives.

Glenfiddich 40-Year Old Rare Collection Single-Malt Scotch, part of a very limited release of just 600 bottles.--Price is between $2,000-$2,500 per bottle.

Balvenie Rare 30-year whiskey. A marriage of whiskey aged in traditional second-fill American oak and whisky aged in European oak casks: Priced between $425.00 and $500.

1998 Dom Perignon Rose Champagne from France. A balance of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, skillfully tuned by the Chef de Cave, transforming the wine into a style that is exclusive only to Dom Pérignon: $300-$350 per bottle.

Chateau Petrus wine. The Bordeaux estate is widely considered the best winery in the appellation. Chateau Petras is made almost entirely from Merlot, and sometimes Cabernet Franc. 2009 Price: $3400 per bottle.

Louis XIII Black Pearl Cognac. Blended from 1200 eaux-de-vie, some more than a century in age, then it is aged in tiercons, oak barrels that are several hundred years old. Price: $1,800-$2,500.

Gallery: Obama's Liquor Cabinet in India

Tags: Barack Obama, Barack Obama India, Dom Perignon, Glenfiddich, louis xiii cognac, petrus, petrus wine, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, The Balvenie

Diageo Eyeing 100% of LVMH Drinks Business?

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Spirits

Diageo may want LVMH drinks.

Bain & Company, a U.S. retail consultant company, published a study recently that claims a surge in luxury sales of apparel, shoes, accessories, leather goods, and perfumes, despite the sluggish economy because, as Claudia D'Arpisio, a company spokesperson said, "The recovery has been faster than expected."

The company expects a 3 to 5 percent increase in luxury goods sales in 2011, and points out that the market for luxury goods is likely strongest with young males in China.

Headed by France's richest man, Bernard Arnault, LVMH deals in all sorts of luxury goods and the company recently took a 14% stake in Hermes. Analysts think that's only the start of a takeover bid.

Gallery: Diageo Eyeing LVMH Drinks Business?

Tags: 10 Cane, Belvedere, captain morgan, cognac, Diageo, Dom Perignon, glenmorangie, hennessey, Hermes, Krug, moet and chandon

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Luxist Visits Cattier Champagne's Cellars in Chigny-les-Roses

by Zack O'Malley Greenburg (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The ancient house that rests above Cattier champagne's cellars in Chigny-Les-Roses, France, is set back about forty feet from Rue Dom Perignon. Finding a street number is difficult – the only obvious identifying mark is the sign on the front fence that says "Chien Méchant." Not to worry: On a recent visit, a guide gave assurances in a heavy French accent that "the dog is dead."

The Cattier family, which now produces over one million bottles of champagne per year, purchased the house in the 1960s. Today, its windows are shuttered and it is only used to receive guests on rare occasions. The real prize is buried far below the chalky soil – a vast network of naturally air-conditioned cellars where Cattier's finest vintages gain their character. In a garage next to the house, a narrow spiral staircase wends its way some 30 meters into the ground. There, the temperature quickly drops from the balmy 25C temperature outside down to a chilly 8C, the still air packed with 90% humidity.

The cellars are about 150 years old, relics of the early days of champagne making. During World War II, they served as part of a vast underground network of shelters throughout the greater Reims area; every few feet, a patch of bricks still bears the burns of candles used to illuminate the long corridors when electricity went out during air raids. These days, the cellars shimmer with the golden bottles of Cattier's flagship champagne, Armand de Brignac.

Gallery: Luxist Visits Champagne Cattier in Chigny-les-Roses, France

Tags: awards-main, Cattier, Champagne, Chigny-les-Roses, Dom Perignon, France, luxist-awards, Reims, wine

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Dom Pérignon Limited Edition Warhol Bottles [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wine, Art, Video

Famed French champagne house Dom Pérignon is paying tribute to the late, great Andy Warhol with a limited edition series of bottles designed in Pop Art colors echoing the artist's famous silkscreens. Created for Dom Pérignon by the Design Laboratory at London's Central Saint Martin's School of Art & Design, the bottles come in three neon hues (blue, red and yellow) and contain Dom Pérignon's exclusive new 2002 Vintage champagne, which will not be released to the public until the fall. The limited edition bottles will be available worldwide beginning October 15th for $150 apiece. When served in certain exclusive venues they come accompanied by special ice buckets that bathe the contents in color to match, along with champagne glasses featuring a silkscreen-style version of Dom Pérignon's signature shield.

[Glamuva via BornRich]

Tags: Andy Warhol, champagne, Dom Pérignon, Dom Perignon, Europe, limited edition

L'Assiette Champenoise: A Bubbly Hideaway

by Zack O'Malley Greenburg (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

L'Assiette Champegnoise in Reims, France

The city of Reims, France, has long been known as the center of the country's storied Champagne region. These days, a noisy construction project snarls traffic and plays havoc with downtown hotels and restaurants meaning there's never been a better time for visiting oenophiles to stay at L'Assiette Champegnoise, a quaint hotel on the outskirts.

Reims is home to all five of last month's Luxist Award nominees in the best sparkling wine/champagne category Krug , Dom Perignon, Pommery, Louis Roederer and Veuve Clicquot. L'Assiette Champegnoise is mere minutes by car from the headquarters of these houses and others.

Built on an old Norman estate, L'Assiette consistently ranks among the best hotels in the area. Cruise through the main gate and the first thing you will see are the twin chimneys rising from the main building, a turreted chateau brimming with old world charm. Behind it lie the hotels 55 rooms and four acres of greenery. The back yard, shaded by century-old trees and strewn with overstuffed chair-pillows, makes for an ideal place to relax with a good book and a flute of champagne from the intimate bar in the lobby.

Visitors needn't venture into Reims for dinner, as the best restaurant in the area is on-site: a two-star Michelin restaurant helmed by chef Arnaud Lallement. In good weather, the aperitif is served outside on the deck; in any case, the intimate dining room and its large windows bring diners closer to nature. For those who would prefer an even more local experience, the restaurant offers room service as well.

Old-fashioned appeal doesn't mean an aversion to modern amenities: each room at L'Assiette offers a television, a telephone, and wireless internet. For such an elegant and conveniently located hotel, the prices are reasonable, starting at 165 Euros per night. The champagne, however, is not included.

Tags: Champagne, Dom Perignon, France, hotel, LAssiette Champegnoise, luxist-awards, Pommery, Reims, Veuve Clicquot

World's Best Champagne

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Luxist readers from around the world have nominated their favorite makers of champagne and sparkling wines. Here's the list of the top five that made the list of the world's best:

Cristal
For a champagne founded in the same year as the United States of America, Louis Roederer's Cristal has changed remarkably little over the years compared to the country across the pond.

Founded in 1776 as Dubois Pere & Fils, the company was renamed after the founder's nephew, Louis Roederer, who took over in 1833 and renamed the champagne house after himself. One of Roederer's greatest moves was expanding the brand into Russia. The champagne enjoyed years of success among well-heeled Russians, and Tsar Nicholas II eventually requested a special champagne to be made for the Imperial Court of Russia. The result was Cristal, a sweet and delicious wine that broke with tradition – instead of being packaged in a dark bottle like, say, Dom Perignon – Cristal came in crystal-clear bottles, hence the name. As legend has it, the transparency was a feature designed so that Tsar Nicholas could tell if somebody was trying to poison his bubbly.

Gallery: Louis Roederer's Cristal Champagne

Dom Perignon
France's King Louis XIV, called The Sun King because everything revolved around him, had an uncanny connection to the champagne that eventually found its way into his court. In 1694, Dom Perignon, the monk who developed the regal wine, had a goal to create the best wine in the world. Sure enough, Dom Perignon became the most expensive wine sold in France that year. The 1921 vintage became the first prestige cuvée ever, with an initial batch sold in 1936. It has been served at all manner of glamorous occasions, including the Shah of Iran's 1959 wedding, as well as Prince Charles and Princess Diana's nuptials in 1981. Since Dom Perignon is a vintage champagne, it's not made in years considered to be weak.

Gallery: Dom Perignon

Tags: awards-main, Champagne, Cristiano Ronaldo, dom perignon, krug, louis roederer, luxist-awards, Pommery, Veuve Clicquot

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Dom Perignon: The King of Champagne

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Dom Perignon Champagne
Behind every great champagne is a great story, and there are few better than that of Dom Perignon. For this reason and more, it's a Luxist nominee in the best sparkling wine/champagne category.

France's King Louis XIV, called The Sun King because everything revolved around him, had an uncanny connection to the champagne that eventually found its way into his court. Dom Perignon, the monk who developed the regal wine, was born just months before Louis in 1638. The two never met, but both died within two weeks of each other in 1715.

Gallery: Dom Perignon

The monk's goal, stated at the Hautvillers Abbey in 1694, was to create the best wine in the world. Sure enough, Dom Perignon became the most expensive wine sold in France that year. The 1921 vintage became the first prestige cuvée ever, with an initial batch sold in 1936. It has been served at all manner of glamorous occasions, including the Shah of Iran's 1959 wedding, as well as Prince Charles and Princess Diana's nuptials in 1981.

Today, Dom Perignon's legacy is guarded by winemaker Richard Geoffroy, a Champagne-born doctor who left the field of medicine to pursue oenology. Since Dom Perignon is a vintage champagne, it's not made in years considered to be weak, thus ensuring each production run has a chance to fulfill the goals of its new leader – and its monastic founder.

Vote for the winemaker that you think is the best of breed. The voting period ends on June 30th, with winners announced on July 1, 2010.

Tags: Awards-Main, Champagne, Dom Perignon, dom perignon rose vintage, Luxist-Awards

Russian Tycoon Sets Champagne Splurge Record

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Celebrity Shopping

A new record was set for a wine sale in Britain recently when an unnamed customer spent $75,000, including tip, on a bottle of Dom Perignon in a London bar. The buyer's name hasn't been released but he's believed to be a Russian tycoon (Abramovich feeling spendy again, perhaps?) with good taste: the sale was for a methuselah of the prized 1996 Rose Gold vintage. The large bottle, dipped in rose gold and worth more than the champagne itself, holds 6 liters (1.59 gallons) and is obviously meant to serve a large group. The purchase took place this past Tuesday during an afterparty for the screening of the new movie "Boogie Woogie" at the Westbury Hotel and included a well-earned $15,000 tip -- according to witness reports within minutes of delivery 3 glasses of the pricey champagne had been spilled.

Source

Tags: champagne, dom perignon, Dom Perignon Rose Gold, dom perignon rose vintage, LondonFashionWeek, most expensive

Dom Pérignon Wedding

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wine

Make your wedding toast truly special by not only toasting with Dom Pérignon but by toasting with Dom Pérignon out of a personalized bottle that features both of your names on the label. Dom Pérignon recently unveiled Dom Pérignon Wedding, a collection coming out just in time for this season's rush of spring and summer nuptuals that includes 12 bottles of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000 plus one additional bottle packaged in a pretty white lacquered box with a special label personalized with the date and the names of the bride and groom.

The collection was inspired by the bottles opened at the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles back in 1981 that each had a personalized label and made such a beautiful and classic way to memorialize the occasion.

Source

Tags: champagne, dom perignon, DomPerignon, wedding

Dom Pérignon Black Box By Marc Newson

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Wine

Renowned Australian industrial designer Marc Newson has collaborated once again with Dom Pérignon to create a special carrying case / cooler for the famed French champagne house. The Black Box by Marc Newson is crafted of a high-tech composite that keeps a chilled bottle of bubbly perfectly cool during traveling, while resisting wear and tear. Priced at €200 or about $285 the case is unfortunately not yet available in the U.S. "I've always loved Champagne, but personally I feel very close to Dom Pérignon," Newson notes. "It is classic yet cool and inherently modern. In terms of design, the fantastic silhouette of the bottle has stood the test of time - it remains unchanged since its creation and has become an icon. That's a very rare trait."

Tags: champagne, design, Dom Perignon, DomPerignon, Marc Newson, MarcNewson

Artist Destroys $12,000 Worth of Vuitton Bags

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags, Art

In a move that's sure to have the notoriously protective types at LVMH up in arms, a provocative New York-based artist has destroyed $12,000 worth of Louis Vuitton Alma handbags (above) for a new sculpture. Conceptual artist R. Lloyd Ming had an assistant purchase a dozen of the $1,000 bags at Louis Vuitton's Manhattan flagship over the holidays. He then cut them in half to make a sculpture for his new solo exhibit, "I Am Not Chinese." As the show's title suggests, the focus of the exhibit is China and what Ming calls the tenuous relationship between China and America, the artist's website notes. Ming's works addresses many controversial Chinese issues including censorship, capitalism under communist rule, trade imbalance and human rights.

"The work is called Vuitton Crucifix and it is a commentary on the new wealth and materialism that has been created in China," Ming says. "However it can also refer to America and many other societies. As a result of China's capitalist revolution the ranks of the rich and middle class are growing. However, capitalism often produces a culture of insecurity, were people can only find a sense of self worth or salvation through possessions and materialism. The Vuitton Crucifix sculpture is a reaction to this culture." Ming has previously used Dom Pérignon packaging in his sculptures, so he is no doubt already on LVMH's radar. He seems to be attempting to forestall any legal action by insisting that his assistant informed the Vuitton salespeople of his artistic intentions.

Tags: China, Dom Perignon, DomPerignon, Louis Vuitton, LouisVuitton, LVMH, New York, NewYork, R. Lloyd Ming, R.LloydMing

At Least One London Banker Is Still Living It Up

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

You'd think that the days of London bankers going crazy with the champagne would be a relic of a previous era but the Telegraph has a receipt for a bill at Maya, a club in London's Soho area that shows a £43,067.50 bar bill from this week. The bar bill shows that a banker bought two methuselah of Dom Perignon champagne at £9,000 each, four jeroboam of Crystal champagne costing £4,500 each, five bottles of Louis Roederer Cristal 99 champagne at £350 each, three magnums of Cristal Rose champagne at £1,900 each and four jeroboam of Belvedere Vodka for £750 each. A 15 percent service charge added another £5,617.50 to the bill. Was this some sort of bubbly last hurrah? The Telegraph's sources says the banker is a regular at the trendy club. He paid with a credit card.

Source

Tags: champagne, dom perignon, DomPerignon, london