SYMPHONY OF TASTE

We all know about food pairing, but what about music pairing? Olivier Krug, a sixthgeneration member of the family that started the maison, explains the connection between Krug Champagne and music

When Olivier Krug’s father, Henri Krug, sat him down almost 30 years ago to tell him about the family’s champagne house, he used a beautiful, lyrical analogy. “He told me how at Krug, each individual plot of grape vines is seen as a fine musician, contributing its individual character to a Krug Champagne,” says Olivier.

Krug’s relationship with music runs deep, but it is only more recently that the House has looked into it on another level, considering how music can have the power to enhance the sensorial experience that comes with every sip of Krug Champagne. It is in this spirit that the House has developed a unique endeavour: Krug Echoes.

Music is the natural analogy for the House to speak of its Champagnes and craftsmanship. Based on various experiments with music, as well as recent scientific evidence, the House has been able to develop music pairings, immersive experiences, unconventional tastings and other events. With Krug Echoes, the House goes beyond the traditional boundaries and connects with Krug lovers in a universal language that is easy to understand.

In Hong Kong, Krug Echoes was revealed at an intimate dinner held at the Krug Room at the Mandarin Oriental— the only Krug Room in the world. The House enlisted Richard Bamping, the principal cellist at the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, to taste various Krug Champagnes and select music based on the sensations and emotions he experienced. Richard, along with a violinist, pianist and soprano singer, performed his selections at the event as the guests tasted each Krug Champagne.

“For the first time in my life I saw tears in the eyes of those tasting champagne,” says Olivier. “He drew such emotion from everyone through that experience.”

Since then, the House has collaborated with musicians for more events to showcase Krug Echoes. “The music reflects what the musicians felt while tasting the champagne,” says Olivier.

A selection of the music is available on the Krug app by typing in the Krug id featured on a bottle’s back label. “The music that contributes to your tasting echoes the tasting sensation, which means you can have an outstanding pairing from music you would not listen to on your own,” says Olivier.

The House of Krug also offers a musical pairing, titled Soloist to Orchestra in 2004, at its maison. It includes a tasting from the Krug Clos du Mesnil 2004, which is the purest, most precise expression of champagne and is paired with a soloist piece, through to a Krug 2004 and a Krug Grande Cuvée 160ème Édition—an orchestra of a champagne that is paired with layered, dramatic compositions that fill the room and the mouth with sound.

“I think it’s a fantastic way to connect to your senses,” says Olivier. “It’s a fantastic way to understand the story of Krug.”