From the outdoor observation deck of Kyoto’s Shogunzuka Seiryuden Temple last week, the sky turned a soft sherbet hue as the sun set over the ancient Japanese city. Originally constructed in 1913, the temple was disassembled in 1998 at its original location, then transported and restored—one piece at a time—atop Mt. Higashiyama, at the legendary point from which Emperor Kammu declared the birth of Kyoto in 794.
It was amid this panoramic splendor, in the company of the temple’s conservator, that Dom Pérignon’s Chef de Cave, Vincent Chaperon, and two-Michelin-starred Japanese chef Yoshihiro Narisawa welcomed 100 guests for an inspiring eight-course pairing menu in celebration of the French maison’s forthcoming Rosé 2009.
The location was important to both the chef and the prestigious brand. “Kyoto is a very good example for you to understand how Japanese people adapt cultures from different places—how they digest that and how they transform that,” the chef and owner of an eponymous Tokyo-based restaurant told Vogue through a translator. “It’s a very appropriate city for this.” Dom Pérignon is the only champagne Narisawa serves at his restaurant, and in preparation for the dinner, he was able to visit the maison’s historic abbey in Hautvillers, France.
Each of Narisawa’s eight courses unlocked the elasticity possible when pairing rosé in general, tapping into earthy, tangy, sweet, and spicy flavors—and often incorporating the unexpected, such as soil and moss. From a course of Honshu deer served with nuts and fruit gathered from a forest, to pigeon coated in soy sauce and complemented with sansho peppers, the meal involved a spectrum of diverse components and culinary styles. In other courses, root vegetables, bamboo grass, sea bass, langoustine, pork, and chicken all factored into the culinary tour de force.
Still, Narisawa’s explorations were less of a road map through pairing and more of a personal invitation to test the boundaries of the palate. One consistent element—beyond sheer creativity—was the Dom Pérignon Rosé 2009, which accompanied every course. In understanding the notes of this particular vintage, it becomes easier to apply Narisawa’s lessons at home, or to other rosé champagnes.
Dom Pérignon Vintage 2009 is a pinot noir assemblage—a word that means that it’s a blend of wines vinified from across the maison’s vineyards. Pinot Noir is actually the most widely planted varietal in the Champagne region and the grape is integral to many rosé champagnes. The 2009 helps to decode its mysteries further. As Chaperon says, “The fruitiness [of the 2009] is about a generosity, on the nose, of blackberries and raspberries. On the palate, there’s a creaminess.”
For pairing at home, the rosé’s berry flavors work well with zucchini, turnip, and other savory vegetables. This kind of effervescent creaminess pairs well with duck and even wagyu beef. On the other hand, when a rosé is lighter and freshly acidic, octopus, kale, cabbage, and pork belly correspond perfectly. For rosé wines, Chaperon says, it’s not just about pairing food but developing the whole context—from the lighting of a room, to the music being played, and even to the temperature of the liquid.
Though there are regional similarities, 2009 does exist with unparalleled refinement. “This is the most glorious embodiment of the fruits of champagne,” Chaperon says of the vintage. “In the Dom Pérignon universe, you have a central vintage style and those which are classic expressions. Then there are vintages that, because of the year and the growing conditions, explore frontiers. 2009 is certainly one of them. Because of the dryness and warmth that year, it led to very ripe grapes.”
Though Narisawa was in charge of the kitchen at the Kyoto event, the audience was composed of acclaimed chefs from around the world—including Val M. Cantu, owner of San Francisco’s Californios, the only Mexican restaurant in the world with two Michelin stars. Cantu says that the key to pairing Dom Pérignon rosé is by aligning standards, committing to clean ingredients, and aiming to enhance both the dish and luxuriant drink. “Our menu can have a wide range of flavors, from complex sauce work to spice and chiles, that you might not always associate with champagne, but together they create tension and radical brilliance,” he says.
So too has Cantu, along with Chaperon and other chefs from the American Dom Pérignon Society—including Thomas Keller, Niki Nakayama, Kyle Connaughton, and Daisy Ryan—developed the first-ever Master’s program and scholarship for a culinary arts degree at the Culinary Institute of America. Five students will be admitted per semester, supported by Dom Pérignon to continue to explore the harmony between wine and cuisine.
“Fine wine is about nature and culture,” Chaperon says. “You bring the best of nature and elevate it with culture.” In Kyoto, as the dusk light turned the color of a luscious rosé, the ultimate lesson was that pairing is like poetry—equipped with an understanding of its components, everything is open to interpretation.
