Miami-based Oceania Cruises’ Riviera briefly docked at Yokohama in April and invited me to join media colleagues for a special Dom Pérignon Experience pairing luncheon.
The spectacular luxury ship’s grandiose Jacques restaurant briefly shut down as passengers disembarked during the stopover to serve up a unique tasting of diverse vintages matched with multiple courses inspired by their well-deserved reputation for “The Finest Cuisine at Sea®”.
Like no other luxury libation, we mused, Champagne evokes a celebration of something very special—past, present or future. As someone once said: “A celebration in true French spirit, the bubbling, satisfying manifestation of joie de vivre.”
With fellow journalists Masatsugu Mogi, editor-in-chief of Cruise Traveller, and Masahiko Onishi, producer of TV lifestyle program Fashion Tsushin, I wondered if Dom Pérignon himself really invented these heavenly bubbles in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
The answer lies in Oceania Cruises’ colorful brochure: “While it’s a bit of a myth that the reclusive monk Dom Pérignon actually invented Champagne, the idea that he perfected the process by which it comes to life is undisputed. Such was the holy man’s dedication that Moët & Chandon, keepers of the Dom Pérignon legacy, is universally regarded as the premier producer of sparkling wines in the Champagne region of France. From tackling the challenges of refermentation to pruning vines to ensure higher quality harvests, Dom Pérignon’s passion for sparkling wine is legendary.”
While Oceania Cruises’ peerless commitment to offering the Finest Cuisine at Sea™ is also well-known, it took an inspired partnering of Oceania’s corporate chef Franck Garanger and the executive chef of Moët & Chandon’s La Maison Dom Pérignon, Marco Fadigo, to combine both superlative experiences into a six-course gustatory indulgence that is working its way onto the bucket list of those who appreciate and celebrate the finer things in life.
Selecting the Best Vintages
After debuting in Jacques aboard Marina and Riviera, says Oceania Cruises Chief Luxury Officer Jason Montague, the Dom Pérignon Experience has already become a must-have meal for every cruising connoisseur of Champagnes and all true gourmands. “The event is so extraordinary, it is offered only once per voyage. The concept is simple, but the execution is divine. First, they have selected three of Moët & Chandon’s most acclaimed vintages. Unlike lesser sparkling wines, Dom Pérignon is a Champagne renowned for vintages which only improve with age. After careful consultation with partners in France, Dom Pérignon vintages from 2009, 2006 and 2004 are the stars, the latter an intriguing and immensely satisfying rosé.”
The Dom Pérignon Experience is a six-course tasting menu, shared with no more than 24 enthusiasts in Jacques for $295 [¥42,000] per person plus gratuities. Each of the three Champagne vintages is effortlessly paired with two courses which are specifically crafted to bring out the nuances of the grapes and the ratio of the blend, playing off every aspect from subtle, effervescent nose to lively, satisfying finish.
The venue, Jacques, is a charming, cozy and welcoming space with flashes of sophistication and sparkle, perfect to host the Dom Pérignon Experience. It is also a reminder of Oceania Cruises’ dedication to making ordinary events extraordinary, of taking an everyday routine and turning it into a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Intricate Dance of Flavors
Each dish of the tasting menu is prepared à la minute and lovingly created to complement the Champagne with which it is paired. Imagine scallops Rossini, mole negro and roasted pineapple accompanying Dom Pérignon 2009, the mole sauce lending extra body to the bubbly while the Champagne itself cuts through the richness of the dish. In celebration of the varied personality and many moods of the 2009 vintage, it complements the refreshing sixth course composed of sakura tea “geisha flower” ice cream and lemon caviar which, in turn, brings out the Champagne’s surprising finish with its hint of saltiness and delightful undertones of caramel.
Dom Perignon Experience Menu
Scallops “Rossini”, mole negro, roasted pineapple
Comme un Rossini de St Jacques, mole negro et ananas rôti Dom Perignon 2009
Brittany blue lobster in yellow curry broth, coco foam
Curry jaune de homard bleu, nuage de coco Dom Perignon 2006
Black truffle risotto, aged parmesan
Risotto aux truffes noires et vieux parmesan Dom Perignon 2006
Seared wagyu beef sashimi style, sautéed arugula, blood orange-soya jus, caviar perlita
Sashimi de boeuf wagyu, roquette sautée, jus à l’orange sanguine et soja, caviar d’aquitaine Dom Perignon Rose 2004
French A.O.C cheese plate, black currant-pepper paste, thyme flower
Assiette de fromage A.O.C, pate de fruit cassis-poivre et fleur de thym Dom Perignon Rose 2004
Glace au thé fleur de Geisha et citron caviar Dom Perignon 2009
Sakura tea “Geisha flower” ice cream, lemon caviar
Price:
$474.00 (¥70,000)
Triumph of Taste
Imagine also a Dom Pérignon 2006 paired with Brittany blue lobster in yellow curry broth as well as coco foam and then, to show the diversity and universal appeal of the vintage, balanced in the next course with black truffle risotto and aged parmesan. In the former, the Champagne honors the shellfish selection while in the latter, the crispness of the vintage soothes the palate’s response to the richness of the risotto.
Rosé for the Ages
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the tasting menu is the Dom Pérignon 2004, a playful rosé that tempers the boldness of a course of seared wagyu beef prepared sashimi-style that is served with sautéed arugula, blood orange-soya jus and caviar perlita. However, this delicate rosé is not as subtle as it might seem, more than holding its own when served with a French A.O.C cheese plate presented with black currant-pepper paste and a thyme flower.
Overflowing Bounty
Unlike other tasting menus with Scrooge-like portions more akin to an amuse-bouche that requires one to fill up with lashings of hot buttered toast once at home, the Dom Pérignon Experience features appropriate servings that allow for enhanced enjoyment of the flavor pairings and Champagne characteristics, leaving us feeling satisfied but not stuffed.
Much more than a mere novelty, these Champagne-pairing dinners are a hearty and elegant fête of earthly pleasures. Glasses were refilled without the need for even a subtle nod to the attentive but unobtrusive staff hovering nearby. While individual glasses of these Dom Pérignon vintages might carry a price tag of ¥6,000 or more, their generous inclusion in the overall tasting experience is a refreshing and welcome discovery.
Dom Pérignon and Oceania Cruises Set Gold Standards
In a world of luxury goods mass-produced by sweatshops in China or quietly transplanted to Italy (allegedly, of course), the bespoke nature of Dom Pérignon stands apart. Other Champagnes, which by definition hail from perhaps France’s most celebrated wine region, are blends of up to five grapes and are produced each year. But Dom Pérignon is produced not just from the blend of only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes (my two personal favourites by far), in fact it won’t be produced at all in any given year if, in the estimation of Moët & Chandon, that year’s grapes are not up to the high standards that have defined Dom Pérignon for three centuries.
In a sadly commercial sector, mass production always takes a backseat to absolute perfection at Moët & Chandon and Oceania Cruises.
Magical Mélange for Foodies, by Foodies
Final word from Chief Luxury Officer Montague: “I believe the most immersive travel experiences happen at the intersection of art, history, culture and, of course, food. Our 2025 voyages celebrate this magical mélange with the eagerly anticipated inaugural season of Allura, on new summer sailings in Tahiti and with Riviera’s Alaska debut, where she will be the first and only cruise ship in the region designed by foodies, for foodies.
