When Champagne trumps whisky

One of Scotland's leading resort hotels has unveiled a new drinks partnership, but it is Champagne, rather than whisky, that will grab the spotlight.

The Gleneagles Hotel and Dom Pérignon have announced a new collab that will see the launch of The Cellar x Dom Pérignon, a private dining and tasting experience, news hubs the drinks business reports.

The experience combines a five-course menu created by Gleneagles’ chefs with a selection of Dom Pérignon cuvées.

The Cellar has served as the hotel’s storage and ageing space for rare wines and spirits for more than 100 years and has now been converted into a private dining room that accommodates up to a dozen guests/

It mow features bespoke Champagne cabinets designed to store Dom Pérignon at its optimum ageing and serving temperature.

Design details reference Dom Pérignon’s home at the Abbey of Hautvillers in Épernay.

The signature Dom Pérignon Experience begins with two glasses of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2017 served alongside King’s Golden Oscietra Caviar and accompaniments.

Guests then enjoy a five-course tasting menu, plus an amuse bouche and pre-dessert, with each course paired with a different Dom Pérignon expression, including Dom Pérignon Vintage 2017, Dom Pérignon Rosé 2010 and Dom Pérignon Vintage 2008 Plénitude 2.

The Cellar also houses a library of more than 40 Dom Pérignon rarities. Guests can book bespoke tastings, including vertical tastings and selections from landmark vintages.

Other experiences available include a Dom Pérignon & Canapé Reception featuring two glasses of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2017 and four canapés per person, a Dom Pérignon Tasting with five Dom Pérignon expressions paired with canapés, and The Cellar Experience, which pairs the tasting menu with wines selected from the Gleneagles wine list.

Guests must reserve the full dining experience at least three weeks in advance, while tastings can be booked up to three days ahead. Prices start from £150 per person, rising to £695 per person ($1310 in Aussie dollars) for The Dom Pérignon Experience.

* Gleaneagles Hotel is owned by Ennismore - the group that also owns Mama Shelter, the Hoxton and Mondrian hotels.

Onwards and upwards at Passing Clouds

 

The team at Passing Clouds in the Macedon Ranges has unveiled plans for a new dining space where guests can "share food, wine and stories". 

Passing Clouds is located at Musk, a hamlet just a short drive from Daylesford, and has been producing wines since 1974 and hosting food experiences since 2015.

The dining room at Passing Clouds has been described as having a vibe that feels like “coming over to a friends for lunch”.  The food, in my experience, is excellent.

The newly renovated dining area overlooks the estate's cool climate chardonnay and pinot noir vineyards and will offer private dining options for six or more guests. 

The kitchen has been given and upgrade, as has the menu, with head chef Cameron McKenzie given more space and new equipment after seven years cooking over a firepit. 

Guests are encouraged to participate in a personalised wine tasting - with a new wine tasting space outside that allows them to taste the premium cool climate wines of the estate and Bendigo wines that the Leith family has been producing for almost half a century. 

Burgundy trained head winemaker Cameron Leith and his wife Marion moved towards biodynamics and regenerative agricultural practices five years ago. 

From May, the Passing Clouds Dining Room will serve lunch from noon Thursday-Monday with the new space available for groups. 

The cellar door is open seven days a week from 10am. See www.passingclouds.com.au

Images: Marni Hawson