Cristal is now a house-hold name. In our house, it’s much more. It’s a family invitation to a bigger picture of why we do what we do. We recently had the pleasure of partnering with one of our most cherished producers from the other side of the world, the wines of the house of Roederer. Jean Baptiste’s approach to biodynamic winemaking struck a cord with us and we were compelled to create a menu that would stand up to and respect the great wines of Roederer. Biodynamic farming takes into account the moon phases and treats the whole vineyard as a living organism. It’s this thoughtfulness and attention to detail that got us inspired to create a menu with that same accord.
We hunted and gathered under a full moon. Gathered salt during times of high winds following high seas, a technique done for centuries that we are honored to use in our cooking. Deep sea fished and dove for lobster when the oceans were calm, the night before our event. And the event itself, fell on lunar new year. The story was tied into a bow for a really fun group of guests that attended a sold-out event.
A local seaweed butter and spiny lobster emulsion was served with 2008 Cristal, one of the best vintages in recent history. Fresh Ehu wrapped in Ti leaves with Domaine Ott Rosé. Dry aged venison and local oyster mushrooms paired beautifully with 2014 Chateau de Pez. This was a menu for the books; a once in a lifetime experience that can never be duplicated. Until the next adventure, we’ll be watching the tides and planning our next collaboration.