Hitting Theright All Notes
Celebrated across the world for its prestigious champagnes, The House of Krug has composed a musical mission that is enhancing how its champagnes are appreciated
Any good host or hostess knows, creating the perfect gathering isn’t just about getting the food and wine to sing out in unison. In order to organise the best experience for guests, the decor, lighting and ambience must also work in harmony. And one of the most important elements of all has to be particularly on key: the music.
It’s this kind of holistic thinking that first prompted the house of Krug to ponder exactly how to enhance the senses during the drinking experience—especially when their champagnes are being sipped. The answer was music—a sensory experience that promotes a response that is not only for wine experts, an emotional gateway to discovering the world of champagnes.
The idea of pairing champagne with music was realised by Maggie Henriquez, president of the House of Krug, in 2011, when she heard award-winning French sommelier Eric Beaumard describing wine in musical terms. “All wines have music,” he said. So, the following year, while attending a Moët Hennessy event in Malaysia, Henriquez caught a presentation by a synaesthesia expert on the power of combining the senses to create remarkable experiences. Her interest was piqued and, shortly after, in the world’s only Krug Room—at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong—the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra was enlisted to help select the music that accompanied the champagne served during a series of dinners.
There was a glorious response. Guests noted that the music enhanced the enjoyment of the champagne—and thus enhanced the entire experience. To check that they were scientifically correct in their observations, Krug enlisted the help of neuroscientists Charles Spence and Janice Wang of Oxford University’s Crossmodal Research Laboratory, a world-renowned centre that specialises in the sensory integration of information. The conclusion: what we hear influences how we taste.
And so further pairing ensued. Playlists of music that specifically enhanced sips of Krug varieties were devised and made available through the Krug app and on the champagne house’s website, and more live musical events were held with a carefully curated Krug list being poured into glasses. And, since then, there have been many collaborations between the winemaking team and musicians—classical and jazz maestros, and even talents who perform more contemporary electronic works—and these collaborations are planned well into next year, giving the artists the chance to learn about the champagnes before creating songs or “Krug Echoes” that transform the emotions experienced by sipping the bubbles into a musical composition.
Krug is now working with the French Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/music in English (IRCAM) on a project for a bespoke sound installation at the family residence in Reims. Combining Ambisonics (an immersive surround sound technique) and wave field synthesis (a spatial audio technique), the unique installation will be located in the residence’s tasting room, enabling bespoke immersive music sequences to enhance guests’ tasting experiences with a wall of 400 wines, which showcases the individuality of each one.
The Krug Yurt, an oval wooden structure that is to be nestled in the garden of the Krug family residence, is also expected to open over the coming weeks. The intimate interior of the structure offers the ideal setting for small groups of guests to enjoy a captivating champagne and music pairing experience.
The House of Krug has, in recent years, viewed its bottled varieties in musical terms. The Krug Grande Cuvée has, it’s said, been “conducted” by cellar master Eric Lebel. The Tasting Committee under his baton embarks on an annual process of sampling more than 400 wines—250 from the year’s harvest and 150 from reserve barrels dating back more than 14 years.
The wines are seen to be “auditioning” to make it into the new blends. For example, the most recent Krug Grande Cuvée, its “167ème Édition”—named to signify the 167th time that the house drew upon founder Joseph Krug’s vast library of reserve wines to compose the prestige champagne, whatever the weather and harvest—is concocted with 191 reserve wines, the youngest from 2011 and the oldest from 1995.
The research into lyrical accompaniments by Krug echoes a love of music that dates back to the founding members of the champagne house. The family residence, built in the 19th century, has a spacious music room that was once used for recitals. Also, at the end of that century, Joseph II, the grandson of Krug’s founder, wrote in detail about the music he encountered on his travels in Asia and Australia.
Music, it seems, is in Krug’s DNA.