Forget the lipstick index as measure of consumer confidence – this summer in Dublin has been all about the bubbles barometer. Now that the economy has picked up, in some circles at least, the sparkling flutes are out not – and not just for pre-dinner drinks.
Champagne as a wine to be enjoyed throughout dinner, from aperitif, to starter, main course and dessert, has been a recurring theme. The latest offering is the Krug Dining Experience at Wilde restaurant in Dublin's Westbury hotel (running until September 30th).
With a bottle of Krug retailing at €200, and approximately five glasses to a bottle, each glass works out at around €40
The €180 price tag on a three-course lunch or dinner, each plate accompanied by a glass of Krug Grande Cuvée or Rosé, may seem steep. But with a bottle of Krug retailing at €200, and approximately five glasses to a bottle, each glass works out at around €40 – and that’s to drink it at home, not in Wilde’s rather snazzy first floor covered terrace overlooking Harry Street.
Julie Dupouy, sommelier and brand ambassador for Edward Dillon & Co's Champagne house portfolio, worked with Sandeep Singh, executive chef at Wilde, to come up with a seasonal menu to compliment the prestige Champagne.
So you can kick off your Krug experience with a starter of Dublin Bay prawns, asparagus, Iberico ham, aged balsamic syrup and feta. For main course there is a choice of Dover sole Meunière or rack of Irish spring lamb with artichoke and broad beans. Both the lamb, and the dessert of baked Alaska with peach and sour cherry, are served with Krug rosé.
This is an annual event at The Marker, and not surprisingly, it sells out quickly
The starter and main courses, accompanied by a glass of Krug, can be ordered individually, but with menu prices of €51 for the starter, €72 for the sole and €90 for the lamb, the all-in price begins to look like better value.
But perhaps not when compared with the Champagne Bollinger dinner at The Marker hotel last month. Executive chef Gareth Mullins’s four-course menu, with pre-dinner canapés and petits fours, and five different wines from the house of Bollinger, including La Grande Année, were on offer for a bargainous €85. This is an annual event at The Marker, and not surprisingly, it sells out quickly once announced.
In May, five rosé champagnes from the Moët Hennessy stable – Moët & Chandon, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Perignon and Krug, were matched with a menu created by executive chef Peter Byrne for guests at a dinner at Restaurant FortyOne at Residence on St Stephen's Green, serving again to underscore the massive push coming from the Champagne houses this summer to promote the versatility of their product.
Yellow Label, rosé, vintage 2008, and La Grande Dame vintage 2006 are each available by the glass
A glass of bubbles is a classic accompaniment to afternoon tea, and Veuve Clicquot has teamed up with The Restaurant by Johnnie Cooke at Brown Thomas, Dublin. Yellow Label, rosé, vintage 2008, and La Grande Dame vintage 2006 are each available by the glass, with the price of the afternoon tea rising from between €47.50 and €75, depending on which Champagne you select.
This has to be booked in advance, with 24-hours notice required, and it is available daily between 3pm and 6pm, until the end of September.
