For the past 10 years Krug Champagne has involved their global chef ambassadors to spotlight a single culinary ingredient to showcase new and unexpected pairings with their Champagne.
Krug x Flower is the Maison’s 10th annual Single Ingredient.
This year, the ingredient is “Flower,” and the team is expanding the program’s reach by collaborating with Indagare, a membership-based luxury travel agency, to create epicurean experiences worth traveling for at Relais & Chateaux properties in three corners of the U.S. — The Harbor House Inn, Twin Farms and Blackberry Farm.
The House of Krug launched Krug x Single Ingredient in 2014 with the inaugural tomato; since then, the annual ingredient has always been humble and internationally accessible, including the potato, egg, mushroom, fish, pepper, onion, rice, lemon, and now, flower.
As a gastronomic Champagne, pairings are always a priority for the Maison but Krug x Single Ingredient is a unique opportunity to flex the bubbly’s culinary versatility; a way to draw parallels to the individualities of different grapes used in Krug’s Champagne and to encourage chefs to reconsider how global cultures rely on this ingredient not just for five-star meals, but in daily life. This year, however, is the first time epicureans can immerse in a multi-day adventure with Krug and its global chef ambassadors as part of the program.
“These trips are inspired by our desire to bring more people into the universe of Krug’s art of individuality,” shared Krug Cellar Master, Julie Cavil about the series deemed Indagare Insider Journeys: Discover the Krug Single Ingredient. “We aim to have them experience firsthand the diversity of what a Krug single ingredient means.”
The four day itineraries will launch this fall to include a private, chef-curated open-fire cooking experience in a niche cove along the California coast from October 17-20 at The Harbor House Inn; a personalized foraging expeditions and farm-to-table dinners in the Vermont countryside at Twin Farms from November 11-14; and discovering the secrets of Krug x Flower amid the backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee from December 5-8. The trips are headed by the luxury hotel’s respective chefs Chef Matt Kammerer, Chef Nathan Rich and Chef Cassidee Dabney, where guests will have exclusive access to cooking and sipping Krug cuvées.
“This opportunity to showcase the synergy between Krug’s Champagnes and my culinary creations is both inspiring and rewarding,” shared Chef Nathan Rich from Twin Farms in Barnard, Vermont.
Chef Nathan Rich of Twin Farms
“Pairing with champagne to start the meal is easy,” Rich continued. “When you move further into the dinner dining experience people are accustomed to enjoying red wines with the main dishes. I have pushed myself to create dishes to be enjoyed with Krug Champagne throughout the entire meal.”
Rich is no stranger to creating original pairings with Krug Champagne; last year for Krug x Lemon, he created a preserved lemon and aerated potato with blue crab and lemon verbena for a pairing with Krug Grande Cuvée 171ème Édition that he said “paired exceptionally well with the preserved lemon and the richness of the potato. Additionally, the buttery crab and herbs complement the bubbly floral nuances of the Champagne.”
In 2022, for Krug x Rice, he put forth a braised beef short rib with Vermont rice, wild watercress and gremolata. “The richness of the braised beef and the nuttiness of the rice complement the flavors and aromas of Krug Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition, while the gremolata deliciously accentuates the freshness of the Champagne,” he shared.
Throughout the years of experimenting with complementary flavors, Rich says a favorite pairing that’s emerged is Krug Rosè with wood fired smoked lamb. “This is such a unique combination, the richness of the Champagne pairs amazingly with the smoky meat and the subtle game flavors of the lamb,” he explained.
For Krug x Flower, this year at Twin Farms, dinner starts in the main dining room with assorted small canapés and amuse-bouche. “Creating an unexpected bite to start the meal that features edible flowers from Twin Farms’ property with Krug Champagne is an exciting challenge,” said Rich, furthering that one of the dishes was inspired by the spicy notes of the nasturtium flowers against the richness of caviar and hollandaise. “Our garden at Twin Farms has ample flowers and pairing them with Krug Champagne was something that pushed me to innovate and create a memorable dining experience.”
As culinary experiences and wine tourism continue to trend in the travel space, these journeys lead in the effort of collaboration between luxury brands to share the most exclusive opportunities for travelers. For further information or reservations, learn more here.