Champagne has evolved considerably
over the last century. One could say that for the past
decade or so we have been living in a golden age of
Champagne, with producers both large and small not
only refining their vinification methods but also
exploring issues of viticulture and terroir expression
in exciting new ways.
A previous golden age, however, occurred in Champagne
during the 1950s and 1960s, and we are privileged to still
be able to experience some of these wines today. There are
numerous factors that contributed to the excellence of
these decades: most notably, it was a period just before
the advent of industrial viticulture in the region, which
greatly increased yields and wreaked havoc on the region’s
soils. It also pre-dated industrial vinification—the
quality of winemaking was perhaps less stable, with more
pronounced highs and lows, but vinification remained
highly traditional, with much fermentation still in barrel
and aging performed on cork rather than capsule. In
addition, the decades of the 1950s and 1960s simply saw a
succession of outstanding harvests that produced wines of
great character and longevity.
We are pleased to present an
exciting one-of-a-kind tasting which explores
the period’s most renowned vintages and cuvées
from the region’s top houses, painstakingly
sourced and curated by the lauded Champagne
expert Peter Liem.
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We are thrilled to welcome Peter to Singapore again,
following his first visit and our first collaboration in
2013. Peter’s knowledge
of and passion for Champagne — the region, the people and
the wines — put him in a very special position. Few can
speak with authority, clarity and conviction about
Champagne as Peter does. His latest book on Champagne, a
labour of love and lifelong research simply titled CHAMPAGNE
is a must-have for all Champagne lovers and has won a
number of awards since its release last year. In April
this year, we were delighted to hear that Peter's
groundbreaking book was named the Winner
of the 2018 James Beard Foundation
Cookbook Award in “Reference, History, Scholarship”
— a coveted and prestigious achievement for an author. We are pleased to present a deluxe
boxed-set edition of this glorious tome to each
guest who joins us for this one-of-a-kind evening.
It is our utmost
delight to have chef Sam Aisbett
create the dishes to accompany the twelve historic
champagnes of the evening. Champagne is a delicate
beverage capable of delivering astounding complexity which
perfectly mirrors Chef Aisbett’s cuisine at
Michelin-starred Whitegrass.
We can’t think of a more fitting pairing.
Please join us for this special evening that promises to
weave history, culture, legend and pleasure into one
unforgettable experience. The setting is an intimate
single-table in the private dining room of Whitegrass so
please RSVP at your soonest convenience.
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“Golden Age of
Champagne”
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A special
retrospective featuring twelve iconic
champagnes from the 1950s and ’60s
curated and guided by Champagne
expert/author Peter Liem
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Wednesday 16 May 2018 – 7 p.m.
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SGD 2,400 nett
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• • • • • • • • • •
I.
A P É R I T I F |
Jacques Lassaigne Clos
Sainte-Sophie Blanc de Blancs
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II.
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1969 Lanson Red Label
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Western Australian
marron, fresh curds, pickled watermelon
rind,
wild fennel pollen, seawater
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III.
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1966 Dom Ruinart Blanc
de Blancs
1966 Bollinger
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Butter poached
Hokkaido snow crab, crab dumpling,
water shield, egg drop soup
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IV.
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1966 Pol Roger
1966 Krug
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Salt baked jade
tiger Abalone with three treasures
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V.
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1964 Dom Ruinart
Blanc de Blancs
1964 Dom Pérignon
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Japanese red sea
bream, spearhead squid, pomelo,
green asparagus, seaweed and sake
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VI.
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1962 Pommery
Avize Blanc de Blancs
1962 Louis Roederer Cristal
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Slow braised Iberico
pork, steamed shitake custard,
scallop “yin and yang”, pork rib broth
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VII.
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1953 Veuve Clicquot
1952 Charles Heidsieck
1952 Bollinger
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Roasted Anjou
pigeon, fermented millet seed,
white vereduna beetroot, day lilies
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VIII.
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Single origin
Peruvian chocolate, wood roasted coffee,
pedro ximenez prunes, shaved macadamia
nuts, frozen chocolate
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• • • • • • • • • •
Every guest will be
presented with a signed copy of |
CHAMPAGNE [Boxed
Book & Map Set]: THE ESSENTIAL
GUIDE TO THE WINES, PRODUCERS, AND
TERROIRS OF THE ICONIC REGION
by Peter Liem
Winner of the 2018 James Beard
Foundation Cookbook Award in
“Reference, History, Scholarship”
• •
Winner of the 2017 André Simon
Drink Book Award
• •
Winner of the 2018
International Association of
Culinary Professionals (IACP)
Cookbook Award for “Wine, Beer &
Spirits”
From Peter Liem, the lauded expert
behind the top-rated online resource
ChampagneGuide.net,
comes this groundbreaking guide to
the modern wines of Champagne–a
region that in recent years has
undergone one of the most dramatic
transformations in the wine-growing
world. This luxurious box set
includes a pullout tray with a
complete set of seven vintage
vineyard maps by Louis Larmat, a
rare and indispensable resource that
beautifully documents the region’s
terroirs. With extensive grower and
vintner profiles, as well as a
fascinating look at Champagne’s
history and lore, Champagne explores
this legendary wine as never before.
• • • • • • • • • • |
Venue:
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WHITEGRASS
30 Victoria Street #01-26/27 • CHIJMES
Singapore 187996
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To RSVP:
Email events@artisan-cellars.com
or phone +65 6838 0373
Prepayment required to confirm
reservation
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TERMS & CONDITIONS:
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- Due to fixed private room
capacity, admission is
strictly by RSVP only,
subject to final written
confirmation.
- Full payment is required
to confirm reservation.
- As space is limited, this
invitation is
non-transferrable.
- Seatings are assigned.
- Guests are advised to
disclose any dietary
restrictions following
confirmed reservation so
that the restaurant may
cater to special individual
requirements.
- The restaurant reserves
the right to adjust the menu
to best availability of
ingredients.
- Artisan Cellars reserves
the right to make changes to
the wine line-up for the
dinner in the event of
unforeseen circumstances.
- All of these terms and
conditions do not supersede
the respective restaurant’s
reservation and service
policies.
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C O L L A B O R A T O R S
PETER
LIEM
Peter
Liem is an American wine writer, and author of ChampagneGuide.net, an
award-winning online guide to the wines and wine
producers of Champagne. Following nearly a
decade in the wine trade, he was a senior
editor, critic and tasting director for Wine
& Spirits magazine, and his writings
on champagne, sherry and other wines have
appeared in publications such as The World
of Fine Wine, Decanter, The
Art of Eating and The San Francisco
Chronicle. He has authored, together with
Jesús Barquín, “Sherry, Manzanilla &
Montilla”, and he hosts Sherryfest,
one of the world’s largest sherry events,
together with Rosemary Gray. He has also
partnered with Daniel Johnnes of La Paulée
de New York to create La Fête du
Champagne, the largest Champagne
event in the United States. His most recent
book, “Champagne”, was published by Ten
Speed Press in October of 2017: it has been
awarded the André Simon Book Award and
an IACP Book Award, and the extremely
prestigious 2018 James Beard Foundation
Award.
WHITEGRASS
& CHEF SAM AISBETT
Situated in the historic building of CHIJMES,
Whitegrass presents a contemporary take on fine
dining with Chef-Owner Sam Aisbett’s
distinctive interpretation of Modern Australian
cuisine. It is a true reflection of his
personality and culinary style, combining
carefully sourced native Australian ingredients,
local Asian produce and Japanese influences.
Hailing from
Sydney, Australia, Aisbett worked alongside some
of the world’s most celebrated chefs including
Tetsuya Wakuda of Tetsuya’s and Peter
Gilmore of Quay Restaurant. Since
Whitegrass’ opening in Singapore in January
2016, Aisbett has been winning accolades with
his interpretation of modern Australian fare,
seamlessly blending cuisines from around the
world and showcasing native Australian produce.
While clearly not defined, his food possesses a
sense of familiarity to diners here, with a
distinctive Asian touch and Japanese influence.
Spending several months frequenting hawkers and
local markets, Sam formed a deeper understanding
for the local palate and ingredients available.
In only two years of operation, Whitegrass
Restaurant has positioned itself as one of the
leading fine dining establishments to visit in
Singapore. It has received numerous accolades
including Best New Restaurant, Restaurant
of the Year and one Michelin star
in the Singapore Michelin guide. Most
recently Whitegrass was included the Asia’s
50 best restaurant list.
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