Champagne Cooler With Branches To Hold The Bubbly. The Enchanting Tree for Perrier Jouet Champagne by Tord Boontje.

As part of its artistic heritage, Perrier-Jouët continues its tradition of supporting and collaborating with artists and designers. This year the brand unveiled "The Enchanting Tree", a creation that reinvents the gesture of champagne.



Six participants can pluck a flute of Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque cuvee from the tree designed by Tord Boontje. At its base, an ice bucket preserves the champagne’s coolness. Perrier-Jouët and Tord Boontje collaboration is rooted in a shared appreciation of Nature, Art Nouveau & craftsmanship.



Inspired by Nature as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, the designer has reinterpreted nature light-heartedly to create a fairytale in honour of spring, with floral forms flowing through a golden hand-worked tree.




With his hand-worked metal branches, the leaves soldered one by one, the anemones lacquered in white; Tord Boontje has reinvented the tasting ritual to create a decidedly Perrier-Jouët moment.





In 1902, a spray of Japanese anemones designed by Emile Gallé heralded the emergence of an artistic movement, Art Nouveau, symbolic of a yearning to which Perrier-Jouët has always remained true:


Inspired by those iconic swirling anemones, Tord Boontje designed a fluid and flowing tree, a plant sculpture with anemones and champagne flutes for blossoms. Suspended in mid-air in order to maintain the coolness of the champagne, they bathe the golden branches in light, reflecting the pearly drops of water on the ice bucket below. A refined and resolutely modern Perrier-Jouët creation, lending a hint of the sublime to the tasting of a Belle Epoque cuvée.



Tord Boontje, an artist born in 1968 in the Netherlands, studied industrial design at the Design Academy in Eindhoven (1986-1991) then at the Royal College of Art in London (1992-1994), before founding his own design studio in 1996 in London. He draws inspiration from nature and incessantly explores the relationship between nature and technology: the association with Perrier-Jouët was thus a marriage made in heaven. "My ideas come to me while strolling in the forest and observing the way light and nature interact" explains the designer, who refuses to link modernism and minimalism.

Perrier Jouet

photos courtesy of Perrier Jouet, The Wine Sleuth  and Cocorosa

Can't Pay 20k For Jeff Koons and Dom Pérignon's Balloon Venus? Get The Limited Gift Box Versions Instead.

The news broke last June that artist Jeff Koons and Dom Pérignon collaborated on a limited number (650 worldwide) of manually assembled and hand polished champagne holders inspired by Koons' Balloon Venus.



The two-foot tall polyurethane resin version (shown above) of the artist's bulbous take on the 25,000 year old fertility symbol, Venus of Willendorf, was designed to cradle a bottle of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003 and is offered in a limited edition of 650 worldwide costing $20,000 a piece.


above: Jeff Koons and Dom Pérignon's Richard Geoffroy with Koons' Balloon Venus for Dom Pérignon design and the hot pink full-sized sculpture that inspired it.



If you can't afford the $20,000 Balloon Venus bottle holder (and if you can, I'd like to be your friend) than perhaps the limited edition gift box is a better choice.



The Limited Edition gift box was designed by Jeff Koons himself for both Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 and Dom Perignon Rose Vintage 2003. The exterior of the boxes feature silk-screened spot-varnished images of a yellow Balloon Venus and a hot pink Balloon Venus (to match the respective cuvees) on a dark background.


above: Koons' full-sized Balloon Venus in yellow

From the outside, the gift box extends the feeling of being in the presence of Balloon Venus, as the reproduction features a 360 degree view of the sculpture.



A view of the artist’s studio is visible on the reflective surface of the Balloon Venus, a reference to the place where Jeff Koons takes his inspiration, just as the Abbey of Hautvillers is where Richard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon, creates the Dom Pérignon vintages.

The gift box opens to expose the bottle, unveiling first an elaborate design that simulates the iridescent interior of the original sculpture made of high chromium stainless steel with transparent color coating dress. The iconic Dom Pérignon bottle erupts, exactly as it does from the body of the Balloon Venus for Dom Pérignon.



Similar to the boxes, the bottle foils give a pop twist to the color of its cuvée, Blanc or Rose, interpreting the tension between the colors and the dark bottle. It bears a metallic shield with the same color layout as the foil and the box.



The label plays with colored surface on the depth of the shield, emphasizing its allure, playful and yet mysterious.



Richard Geoffroy of Dom Pérignon said that the label first approached Koons with the idea two years ago, and gave the artist free rein on the end design of the package.



The limited edition boxes can be found at select specialty liquor and wine stores all over the world.

Dom Pérignon has previously collaborated with such artists as David Lynch, Marc Newsom, Martin Szekely, and the estate of Andy Warhol for limited edition champagne buckets and bottles.

Dom Pérignon
images courtesy of Dom Perignon and Jeff Koons

Veuve Clicquot Champagne Handbags and Heels by Charlotte Olympia.

Charlotte Olympia launches a limited edition capsule collection for Veuve Clicquot Champagne. The bubbly collection of handbags and heels combines fashion brand Charlotte Olympia's sense of femininity and humor with the heritage of the famous French Champagne House. Cues from the champagne brand such as their yellow/orange color, their rosé color, names of their vintages, cork and of course, bubbles are combined with Swarovski sparkles, suede and satins to create this fancy and fun capsule collection.



Bouzy Pandora Clutch:

Inspired by pretty in pink Veuve Clicquot cases, the 'Bouzy Pandora' clutch box is set to match your bubbly flute of champagne.

Cheers!

Raise a glass and say 'Cheers!' to the statement clutch bag of this capsule collection. The effervescent off white figure and champagne flute is surrounded by gold glitter perspex and finished with a circular perspex handle – the perfect evening clutch bag.



Desi:

Heel measures approximately 85mm/ 2 inches. Dazzle in the fabulously feminine 'Desi'. This sparkling silhouette is an effortlessly glamorous slingback with Swarovski crystals and golden embroidery.

Bubbly Pandora:

This summer the highly covetable Pandora clutch box is bursting with champagne bubbles. This fabulous accessory will add a sparkling addition to your outfit.



Dolly:

Heel measures approximately 130mm/ 6 inches with a 40mm/ 1.5 inch platform. Pop the cork and raise a glass to the signature 'Dolly' silhouette hand crafted in glittering cork. The contrasting sheen of the gold "island platform" makes this limited-edition platform a must-have for summer wardrobes.

Cork Pouch:

This shimmering cork pouch is a must-have accessory this summer. Lined in blush silk satin and gold Charlotte Olympia plaque and finished with a Spider's Web zip closure.



Isadora:

Heel measures approximately 145mm/ 6 inches with a 35mm/ 1 inch platform. Inspired by the rich signature colours of Veuve Clicquot’s world-renowned Rosé Cuvée label, 'Isadora' is a glamorous sandal. The suede upper features crystal bejewelled detailing catches the light.



Kitty Flats:

Heel measures approximately 15mm/0.5 inches. Raise a glass to the limited-edition ‘Kitty Flats' in glittering cork with a gold embroidered cat's face.



La Grade Dame:


Heel measures approximately 110mm/ 5 inches. 'La Grande Dame' is the statement design of this capsule collection. The effervescent champagne flute is detailed with Swarovski crystals and gold bubbles – the perfect black satin sandal.

Serena:

Heel measures approximately 140mm/ 6 inches with a 40mm/ 1.5 inch platform. Encapsulating femininity and humour with the heritage of Veuve Clicquot, 'Serena' takes a sparkling twist in glitter cork, beautifully finished with the gold sheen of the signature "island platform".



Shop the collection here

Bizarre Bottles of Bubbly. 43 Artist Designed Bottles of Zarb Champagne.

(each of the above bottles are shown individually in this post, just keep reading)

Chances are you celebrated the ringing in of 2013 with some sort of Champagne or sparkling wine as is the tradition. But I'm willing to bet the bottles weren't as cool as these. Zarb was launched as a new brand of champagne in 2009. The brand takes its name from the French slang word for ‘bizarre’. Zarb, then, is no traditional champagne brand, but rather traditional champagne with an unconventional look, based on an unconventional idea. Zarb breaks with the outward clichés of traditional champagne bottles and is available in collections of fashionable bottles made by internationally acclaimed artists.

The Zarb Champagne Design Collection (Bottles available for purchase):

Angels:

Belly Button:

Hope:

Octopus:

Lips:

Delft:

Surface (mermaid):

and the Classic Black Bottle:

Buy Zarb Design Bottles here.

The Zarb Champagne Art Collection (These are not for sale):

Snow:

Beach:

EdhV:

Fire Extinguisher:

Fragile:

Bird Bones:

Corset:

Golf:

Hansje:

Hope 2:

Nepco:

Rocket:

Camera:

Diewertje:

Floral:

Funeral:

Miktor and Molf:

Tjep:


A look at the Zarb Art Bottles exhibited at The Joyce Gallery Palais Royal in Paris last year:


















all images courtesy of Zarb Champagne

About the Champagne


Zarb Champagne is produced for Zarb by the Baron family in the village of Charly-Sur-Marne, in the western side of the Champagne region.

The grapes used in the blends are grown on a 38-hectare stretch of land with the best vineyards in this part of Champagne, owned by the Baron family.

Zarb Champagne is dominated by the Meunier (55%), bringing fruitiness and delicacy to the cuveé, blended with the finesse of the Chardonnay (30%) and the strength of the Pinot Noir (15%).

Zarb rests on the lees for 36 months, which is much more than the minimum requirement of 15 months, and gives Zarb its refined bubbles. The production process is carefully controlled and technically advanced under a constant temperature of 12 ̊C.

This all contributes to Zarb’s modern, fruity taste that appeals to a broad audience.

BLEND
30% Chardonnay - 55% Meunier - 15% Pinot Noir

CELLARS
Second Fermentation at 12°C,
Stocking on lies at 12°C,
Stocking after discorching at 12°C (3-6 months minimum), Riddling 100% on gyropalette,
Stock capacity: 4000 m2

WINERY
Pressing Unit Quality Agreed, Winery Capacity : 19 000 Hl Alcoholic Fermentation: 16°C Malolactic Fermentation: 20°C No collage, filtration, Tartaric Stabilisation of all wine, Matured in vats at 12°C.

VINEYARDS
Own vineyards:
38 Ha + buying grapes in the area around Charly
Soil: chalky-clayey soil
Best sites overlooking the River Marne
Grand Cru grapes from the mountains of Reims and Côte des Blanc

HISTORY
1961: Vineyards of 1-hectare vineyard
1967: Creation of company
1991-1992: Creation of a new 2100m2 cellar and production unit 2000: Extension of the stockage cellar : + 2000 m2
2001: Extension of the winery : + 3000 hl
2005: Extension of the winery : + 5300 hl
+ one 12 000 kg press

Currently, orders at Zarb Champagne can only be delivered in the European Union. Please find below the rates per parcel (maximum 18 bottles in the European Union) and the shipping lead time per country of destination.

Zarb Champagne