Enter the Belle Époque at Maison Perrier-Jouët in Champagne

In Epernay, among the rolling hills of champagne vineyards, Maison Perrier-Jouët boasts not only exceptional tipples, but the largest private collection of French Art Nouveau in Europe – which you can now discover alongside a tantalizing gastronomic experience.

The illustrious Maison Perrier-Jouët was born in 1811 as a result of Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose Adelaïde (Adèle) Jouët’s shared love of nature and passion for art. The champagnes of this prestigious house became deeply devoted to all things floral in 1850 when the founders’ son Charles Perrier built a chateau with greenhouses dedicated to horticulture. Art later played a noteworthy role when, in 1902, Emile Gallé, one of the pioneers of Art Nouveau, created a composition of white Japanese anemones. Years later, this iconic design led to international fame under the name of the Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque cuvée. 

Today, you can discover the Belle Époque Society in Epernay, where the Cellier Belle Époque, Maison Belle Époque, the Boutique, and L’Atelier are united.  

An artistic and culinary experience 

A visit to Maison Belle Époque invites you into Europe’s largest private collection of French Art Nouveau where remarkable furniture and tableware by artisans including Hector Guimard, Louis Majorelle, and Emile Gallé decorate each room from the light fixtures to the chairs.  

This awe-inspiring foray into the world of French Art Nouveau can now be paired with an exceptional experience in French gastronomy, where every sparkling sip from a century-old flute recalls Maison Perrier-Jouët’s gilded history. Under the direction of legendary chef Pierre Gagnaire, the Maison’s chef Sébastien Morellon expertly crafts six sequences of pure delight. The seasonally-inspired lunch and dinner menu honors both land and sea, with dishes as delectable as their presentation. The culinary offerings might include white asparagus pannacotta in tarragon and miso-basted turbot fillet in a kombu seaweed broth – all depending on the menu.  

Every dish is paired with a glass of champagne thoughtfully selected by Cellar master Séverine Frerson. Notable cuvées including Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque Blanc de Blancs 2014 and Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque Rose 2013 become the flowing protagonists in a star-studded culinary performance.

Reinventing Art Nouveau 

In a nod to nature and art, Maison Perrier-Jouët joined forces with renowned French embroiderer Atelier Montex – the same used by Chanel – in the Ode à la Nature Collection launched in 2022. The second edition of its Objets Extraordinaires is titled Libellule and intricately adorns a jeroboam of Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque champagne in the form of pink and green dragonfly wings. Numbering only 10 with each piece taking 75 hours to embroider by hand, Ode à la Nature – Libellule is complimented by three of the House’s rare vintage spanning three decades  – Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1999, Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2008, and Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2012. 

A visit to the wine cellars introduces another style of art, hidden amidst the walls of bottles awaiting their turn to pop. Take notice of the Perrier-Jouët 1825, recognized as the world’s oldest remaining champagne, with only two bottles remaining. A reflective work titled Lost Time by London-based studio Glithero has become a permanent fixture since 2012.  

Most recently, Mexican artist Fernando Laposse was invited to reinterpret the Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs box design, which he did in signature style. Inspired by pollination as is evidenced in his new installation exhibited exclusively at the Cellier Belle Epoque, The Pollination Dance, Laposse’s designs are part of Maison Perrier-Jouët’s environmental commitments in favor of biodiversity. Axelle de Buffévent, Perrier-Jouët’s culture and creative director, shares, “Fernando Laposse has revisited the Art Nouveau heritage of Maison Perrier-Jouët with remarkable depth. Freely inspired by nature, he combines savoir-faire derived from traditional cultures with cutting-edge contemporary techniques. His work speaks to us through its beauty and poetry, at the same time as it reveals a deeper meaning.”  

Pick up a limited-edition bottle along with two flutes signed by Fernando Laposse before exiting the era of the Belle Époque.