America’s largest documentary festival DOC NYC Announces Jury & Audience Awards For 2022 – ‘Casa Susanna’, ‘How to Save a Dead Friend’, ‘ Fragments of Paradise’ among the winners.
DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, revealed the 2022 award winners for its juried U.S. Competition, International Competition, Metropolis, Kaleidoscope, Shorts, Short List: Features, and Short List: Shorts sections, as well as the #MyJustice Film Award. The Festival’s Audience Award winner was also announced.
America’s largest documentary festival DOC NYC Annc’s 2022 Awards
A complete list is below.
The awards announcement comes after the conclusion of the in-person portion of the festival’s hybrid 13th edition.
DOC NYC’s online screenings run through November 27, with some 90 features available to stream across the United States, including 7 award-winning features; more than 100 of the festival’s short films, including all 5 shorts award winners, are also available online.
For a full schedule of available films, see www.docnyc.net
Ticket and pass information is below. For DOC NYC’s competitive sections, five juries selected films from the festival’s U.S. Competition, International Competition, and Kaleidoscope sections, as well as its long-running Metropolis and Shorts lineups, to recognize for their outstanding achievements in form and content.
The Short List: Features program—a selection of nonfiction films that the festival’s programming team considers to be among the year’s strongest contenders for Oscars and other awards—vied for awards in four categories: Directing, Producing, Cinematography, and Editing, with a Directing prize also awarded in the Short List: Shorts section. The Short List awards were voted on by two juries of filmmaker peers.
JURIED AWARDS, FEATURE FILMS U.S. Competition: The jury selected from among eleven new American nonfiction films in this section.
DOC NYC Grand Jury Prize: Casa Susanna, directed by Sébastien Lifshitz and produced by Muriel Meynard.
Grand Jury Prize: Casa Susanna, directed by Sébastien Lifshitz and produced by Muriel Meynard. (U.S. Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “Casa Susanna is a beautifully crafted film featuring hauntingly exquisite archival footage. Both cinematic and intimate, it offers a unique way into the trans experience by contrasting nostalgic and past stories through contemporary characters. This approach allowed us to understand how laws and perspectives have changed over the years. What’s more, multi-generational characters helped uncover complexity in the stories and surprising nuance. The film’s narrative elegantly captured the subjects’ resilience and ability to overcome adversity. The Casa was a compelling place of safety, warmth, individuality and camaraderie. The film’s archival material puts you into that world and serves as a time capsule to this moment in time.”
Available online through November 27.
Jurors: Jessica Harrop (Filmmaker, Sandbox Films), Justin Lacob (Head of Development, XTR); Tina Nguyen (VP of Programming, HBO Documentary Films)
Films featured in the U.S. Competition section: 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted a Culture, 26.2 to Life, The 50, Cabin Music, Casa Susanna, Coldwater Kitchen, Dear Thirteen, Dusty & Stones, Loan Wolves, Love in the Time of Fentanyl, Who is Stan Smith?
International Competition: The jury selected from among twelve new international productions in this section.
DOC NYC Grand Jury Prize: How to Save a Dead Friend, directed by Marusya Syroechkovskaya and produced by Ksenia Gapchenko, Mario Adamson.
Grand Jury Prize: How to Save a Dead Friend, directed by Marusya Syroechkovskaya and produced by Ksenia Gapchenko, Mario Adamson. (U.S. Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “For the International Competition prize, we recognize How to Save a Dead Friend as a truly exceptional film.
Marusya Syroechkovskaya’s first-person tale of punk love in Putin’s Russia shines an urgent spotlight on a forsaken generation condemned to a seemingly endless cycle of drug addiction, mental health crisis, and suicide by the repressive structures of the regime. This fiercely candid and moving portrait of two lost individuals who, caught in a spiral of depression, found themselves in each other, begins as a straightforward memoir of a tragic relationship and soon blossoms into an expansive, archival mosaic of Russia’s restive and stifled youth.” Available online through November 27.
Jurors: Edo Choi (Associate Curator of Film, Museum of the Moving Image), Sarah Colvin (Manager, Acquisitions and Business Affairs, NEON), Jonathan Schaerf (Head of Documentaries & Strategic Partnerships, Propagate).
Films featured in the International Competition section: African Moot, Big Fight in Little Chinatown, Children of Las Brisas, Closed Circuit, Destiny, Fati’s Choice, Girl Gang, The Hamlet Syndrome, The Hermit of Treig, How to Save a Dead Friend, Ithaka, Lazaro and the Shark: Cuba Under the Surface.
Kaleidoscope: The jury selected from among seven films in this section, which showcases essayistic and formally adventurous documentaries.
White Night, directed by Tania Ximena and Yollotl Gómez Alvarado and produced by Julia Cherrier, Mónica Moreno, Julio Chavezmontes.
Grand Jury Prize: White Night, directed by Tania Ximena and Yollotl Gómez Alvarado and produced by Julia Cherrier, Mónica Moreno, Julio Chavezmontes. (U.S. Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “We’re pleased to award this year’s Kaleidoscope prize to White Night for its patient, yet urgent emphasis on exhuming buried histories. Poetic pacing, resplendent sound, and expressive cinematography underscore the filmmakers’ thoughtful approach to wrestling with the nuances of community healing in the wake of natural disaster. We found ourselves struck by the intimacy of the relationship between the filmmakers and their collaborators.”
Available online through November 27.
Mother Lode, directed by Matteo Tortone and produced by Alexis Taillant, Nadège Labé, Margot Mecca, and Benjamin Poumey.
Special Mention: Mother Lode, directed by Matteo Tortone and produced by Alexis Taillant, Nadège Labé, Margot Mecca, and Benjamin Poumey. (North American Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “For its atmospheric clarity and attention to the human costs of extraction, the jury recognizes Mother Lode as a special mention. Stark neorealism blends seamlessly with flashes of the surreal and extra-reality, inviting the viewer to sit with the claustrophobia of capitalist precarity.”
Available online through November 27.
Jurors: Sally Berger (film and media curator); Jon Dieringer (founder and editor-in-chief, Screen Slate), Dessane Lopez Cassell (editor, writer, curator).
Films featured in the Kaleidoscope section: Dark Light Voyage, For Your Own Peace of Mind Make Your Own Museum, I’m People I Am Nobody, It Runs in the Family, Mother Lode, Our Movie (Nuestra película), White Night. Metropolis: The jury selected from among five films in this section, which is dedicated to stories about New Yorkers and New York City.
Fragments of Paradise, directed by KD Davison and produced by KD Davison, Elyse Frenchman, Leanne Cherundolo, and Matthew O. Henderson.
Grand Jury Prize: Fragments of Paradise, directed by KD Davison and produced by KD Davison, Elyse Frenchman, Leanne Cherundolo, and Matthew O. Henderson. (NYC Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “Fragments of Paradise provides an intimate and intense portrait of an artist whose legacy is intrinsically intertwined with New York. The film offers an immediate and immersive experience of the inner life and history of the late artist Jonas Mekas. Viewers are given a chance to commune with this figure to whom independent cinema is so indebted, and despite covering decades of his life in art, the immediacy of his presence is so rich throughout the film, it almost feels like it’s in the present tense. A poetic film about a poetic artist, Fragments of Paradise twins its subject to great effect.”
In Search of Bengali Harlem, directed by Vivek Bald and Alaudin Ullah.
Special Mention: In Search of Bengali Harlem, directed by Vivek Bald and Alaudin Ullah. (NYC Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “Films that reveal hidden histories, especially of a metropolis as well-plumbed as New York City, deserve to be celebrated, and In Search of Bengali Harlem is such a documentary. This film is remarkable in the way it tells the decades-long story of the Bengali community’s integration in Harlem, and the way Black and Brown people found each other, peeling back layer after deeply personal layer of one subject’s life. With a charismatic lead and beautiful musical accompaniment, this film provides a unique perspective of the immigrant experience and honors the singular place New York City has held throughout America’s history. ”
Available online through Sunday, November 27.
Jurors: Opal H. Bennet (Co-Producer and Shorts Producer, POV), Molly O’Brien (Head of Documentary, NBC News Studios), Joseph Patel (filmmaker).
Films featured in the Metropolis section: Fragments of Paradise, In Search of Bengali Harlem, Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story, Queen of the Deuce, Roberta.
America’s largest documentary festival DOC NYC Annc’s 2022 Awards
AUDIENCE AWARD
The Audience Award goes to 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted a Culture, directed by Sharon “Rocky” Roggio and produced by Roggio and Jena Serbu. (World Premiere)
Available online through November 27.
Runners-Up (in alphabetical order): 26.2 to Life, directed by Christine Yoo and produced by Yoo, Carolyn Mao, Sara Jane Sluke, Hella Winston (available online through November 27); Gumbo Coalition, directed by Barbara Kopple and produced by Kopple, David Cassidy, Williams Cole, and Ray Nowosielski; Lazaro and the Shark: Cuba Under the Surface, directed by William Sabourin O’Reilly and produced by Bryan Bailey (available online through November 27); and Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story, directed by Jennifer Takaki and produced by Takaki and Linda Lew Woo (available online through November 27).
SHORT LIST:
FEATURES AWARDS DOC NYC’s Short List for Features puts the spotlight on 15 documentaries representing the best of the year.
Directing Award: Descendant, directed by Margaret Brown.
Jurors’ statement: “Descendant is about finding Clotilda, the last ship that carried Africans to the United States after slavery had been abolished. In Margaret Brown’s hands, this story comes into full fruition. Committed to giving the descendants of the survivors of Clotilda the space not only to tell their story but to ponder and ask questions out loud, you feel their trust in Margaret – and in return, we put our faith in her too. This collaborative spirit between the seer and the seen bears witness to past horrors while connecting it to present injustices. ”
Producing Award:
Retrograde, produced by Matthew Heineman and Caitlin McNally. (NYC Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “When almost every producing decision has life or death possibilities, when everyone is rushing to leave Afghanistan, and your film crew is rushing in, yet in spite of these dangers the the producers of Retrograde bring us into the war rooms and out onto the battlefield in a way we will never forget.”
Editing Award:
Fire of Love, edited by Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput.
Jurors’ statement: “A wealth of archival riches detailing the professional and personal passions of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Kraft is handled with deftness and discipline by editors Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput. The awe inspiring footage comes together seamlessly with narration and sound, with a rhythm and pacing that leaves the viewer with the sense of the Krafts in communication and relationship with the volcanoes that were the loves of their lives.”
Available online through November 27.
Cinematography Award:
All That Breathes, cinematography by Ben Bernhard, Riju Das, and Saumyananda Sahi.
Jurors’ statement: “The cinematography in All That Breathes is the foundation for a film that feels both expansive and intimate. It is a bellwether for an impending apocalypse and an intimate exploration of two brothers’ commitment and care for living things amidst an existential climate threat. Through the unflinching and patient lens of cinematographers Ben Bernhard, Riju Das, Saumyananda Sahi, we are called from the very first shot to bear witness and not look away.”
Special Mention:
The Janes, directed by Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes, produced by Emma Pildes, Daniel Arcana, and Jessica Levin
Jurors’ statement: “For exceptional editing in making the historical reach of The Janes connect to and shed light on the present day fight for reproductive rights. In spite of women dying and going to prison fighting to get abortions, The Janes celebrates a culture of resistance that can be a winning strategy for us today.”
Jurors: Traci A. Curry (filmmaker), Ramona Diaz (filmmaker), Pamela Yates (filmmaker).
SHORT FILM AWARDS Shorts Competition:
All new short films playing at the festival were eligible for the Shorts Grand Jury Prize, with the exception of DOC NYC U showcases and Short List: Shorts selections.
DOC NYC Holy Cowboys, directed by Varun Chopra and produced by Anna Hashmi and Varun Chopra.
Grand Jury Prize: Holy Cowboys, directed by Varun Chopra and produced by Anna Hashmi and Varun Chopra. (NYC Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “Holy Cowboys stands out in terms of urgency and craft in filmmaking. The documentary brings to the fore how, under the guise of protecting cows and maintaining purity, acts of violence are used to terrorize a minoritized community. The jury commends Varun Chopra for his courage in making a film that is tragically universal.”
Special Mention: Will You Look at Me, directed and produced by Shuli Huang. (NYC Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “An emotional montage of nostalgic ramblings and parental verbal abuse, the latter sometimes laid over images of happier family memories and beautiful portraits of his mother to devastating and disarming effect.”
Special Mention: Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles, directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk and produced by Daniel Lombroso. (NYC Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “Through liturgy, trauma and the works of mercy, the movie provides a window into the invasion in Ukraine where sculptors build anti-tank defense as the war rages in their country.”
The 2022 winning Short film qualifies for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the annual Academy Awards ® without the standard theatrical run (provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules).
Holy Cowboys screens online as part of the Shorts: Animal Farm program; Will You Look at Me and Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles screen online as part of the Shorts:
Process program; all are available through November 27.
Jurors: Jose Hernandez (producer/programmer/curator), Aaron Hunt (VP, dedza films), Poh Si Teng (Executive Editorial Producer, ABC News Studios) Short
Short List: Shorts: DOC NYC’s Short List for Shorts highlights 15 documentary shorts that the festival’s programming team considers the year’s leading awards contenders. Directing Award: As Far As They Can Run, directed by Tanaz Eshaghian, produced by Tanaz Eshaghian and Christoph Jörg. (NYC Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “The sensitive and nuanced portrayal of the families in this film showed tremendous directorial vision and perseverance. The story gives agency and voice to the participants who have long been marginalized by society. It was also empathetic to the caregivers and the incredible challenges they face. We found the exceptional directing in this film to be deserving of the Grand Jury Prize.”
Available online in the Shortlist Shorts: Our Family Portrait program, through November 27. Special Mention: Anastasia, directed by Sarah McCarthy, produced by Sasha Odynova, and Sarah McCarthy. (NYC Premiere)
Jurors’ statement: “We award special mention for Anastasia’s beautiful and intimate camera work and its observational approach. The film provides a badly needed perspective: the human side of an important political story.”
Available online in the Shortlist Shorts: Migration Stories program, through November 27. Jurors: Julie Cohen (filmmaker), Geeta Gandhbir (filmmaker), Deborah Shaffer (filmmaker).
#MyJustice: DOC NYC partnered with Odyssey Impact® to present the #MyJustice Film Award to Long Line of Ladies (NYC Premiere), directed by Rayka Zehtabchi and Shaandiin Tome, and produced by Garrett Schiff, Zehtabchi, Sam Davis, and Pimm Tripp-Allen. The award comes with a $10,000 cash prize and an Odyssey Impact National Social Impact Campaign, and is made possible with generous support from Paramount/Content for Change Academy.
Odyssey Impact® Statement: “For a female-directed, short documentary giving viewers a rare and stigma-breaking glimpse into a revived indigenous tradition of celebrating and normalizing period conversations of its young women coming of age. This story uplifts the Native American Karuk tribe of Northern California’s multi-generational community and, takes a significant step towards understanding Indigenous Rights and the worldviews of Native and First Nations Peoples. The film shines a much-needed light on the urgency of women’s equality for all.”
Available online in the Shortlist Shorts: Our Family Portrait program, through November 27.
America’s largest documentary festival DOC NYC Annc’s 2022 Awards
SPONSORS
The festival is made possible by: Leading Media Partners: New York Magazine; The WNET Group Major Sponsors: A&E IndieFilms; HBO Documentary Films; NBC News Studios; Netflix Supporting Sponsors: discovery+; National Geographic Documentary Films;
SHOWTIME® Signature Sponsors: Amazon Studios; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Consulate General of Canada in New York; Frankfurt Kurnit; Hulu; National Geographic; NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment; Participant Signature Media Partners: The New Republic; WNYC Event Sponsors: Cinepolis; 30 for 30 / ESPN Films; Firelight Media; Fox Rothschild LLP; Impact Partners; JustFilms | Ford Foundation; MTV Documentary Films; Odyssey Impact® , Inc.; Reavis Page Jump LLP; SVA – MFA Social Documentary Film; Telefilm Canada; Wheelhouse Creative Friends of the Festival: Agile Ticketing; CineSend; Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY; DCTV; Essentia Water; Fever Content; Kickstarter PBC; Ptex; Shiftboard.
DOC NYC is produced and presented by IFC Center, a division of AMC Networks. To inquire about sponsor or partnership opportunities for DOC NYC, contact Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen at raphaela@docnyc.net.
TICKETS AND PASSES: Festival screenings continue online through November 27.
Tickets and passes may be purchased at docnyc.net/tickets-and-passes.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Jérôme Peschard Leads Vietnam Art Renaissance, Launches Art Exhibition at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City
Jérôme Peschard Launches Art Exhibition at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City
For the past 60 years, Sofitel Hotels & Resorts has epitomised the essence of French art de vivre across the globe. As 2024 heralds its Diamond Jubilee, commemorated with a series of exclusive events at Sofitel properties worldwide, Sofitel Saigon Plaza, the paragon of French hospitality in Ho Chi Minh City, proudly inaugurated an extraordinary celebration of art.
From Left- Betty Qiffe Pallard, Consul General Daniël Stork of the Netherlands to Vietnam, Nykky Do and Milena Padula- Spouse of Consul General of Italy to Vietnam / photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
On the evening of June 21st, the Sofitel Saigon Plaza was the scene of a glittering event, marking the launch of a collaboration with the internationally renowned French Pop Artist, Jérôme Peschard.
French Pop Artist Jérôme Peschard Portrait / photo courtesy of Stephane Thierry
The hotel’s lobby served as an elegant backdrop for an array of Peschard’s stunning oil paintings on recycled corrugated metal, showcasing his inspiration from French Indochina.
From Left- Tracie May, Milena Padula- Wife of Consul General of Italy to Vietnam, Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel Manager Alistair Minty, Lindsay Nutley, Consul General of Australia to Vietnam Sarah Hooper, Simon Pugh and Michael Hooper // photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
The event attracted an illustrious group of attendees, including Mrs. Sarah Hooper, Consul General of Australia to Vietnam; Mr. Daniël Stork, Consul General of the Netherlands to Vietnam; Mrs. Milena Padula, spouse of Italian Consul General Enrico Padula; and Mrs. Lê Hạnh, CEO of TVHub Vietnam. Distinguished guests also included Michelin Starred Chef/Owner Peter Cong Franklin of Ănăn Saigon, totalling one hundred and thirty of Ho Chi Minh’s leading tastemakers.
photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
Guests enjoyed a selection of exquisite canapés, fine wines, and champagne while admiring Peschard’s captivating works. Adding to the allure, music by DJ Edge Pamute filled the space, and trendsetters Tracie May and Nykky Domodelled custom-embroidered Áo Dài, the national costume of Vietnam, designed by Peschard and couturière Giao Basson. A pop-up retail store showcasing Peschard’s merchandise collection also opened to the public, featuring a curated selection of home decor, limited edition numbered and artist-signed lacquer replicas of paintings, and an array of gift items. Both the boutique and the art exhibit will grace the Sofitel Saigon Plaza throughout the summer, concluding in early September.
photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
This premier event highlighted the vibrant intersection of art, culture, and gastronomy, celebrating a unique fusion that will enchant visitors throughout the season, encapsulating Sofitel Hotel and Resort’s world of prestige and luxury.
photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
“I’m deeply grateful to Sofitel Saigon Plaza for granting me such a fantastic platform to showcase my art. Although I am French, my heart is Vietnamese, and I’m thrilled to share my homage to Vietnam with their guests and visitors during the 60th Anniversary celebration of Sofitel Hotels and Resorts.” – Jérôme Peschard
“Marking 60 years of exceptional hospitality, we take pride in being a part of a legacy that consistently sets the standard for excellence in Asia, providing a unique experience for all modern travellers to explore Ho Chi Minh City through a French-inspired perspective.” – Mario Mendis, GM, Sofitel Saigon Plaza
ABOUT SOFITEL SAIGON PLAZA:
Sofitel Saigon Plaza harmonises the sophistication of French art de vivre with the vibrancy of local Vietnamese culture, delivering a luxury hospitality experience enriched by genuine heartfelt service. Conveniently located in a tranquil enclave on Le Duan Boulevard, Sofitel Saigon Plaza places you in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s business, cultural, and shopping district. The hotel boasts 286 rooms and suites adorned with refined décor and deluxe amenities, a fitness centre featuring advanced exercise equipment, and an outdoor swimming pool with breathtaking city views. Sofitel Saigon Plaza also features five dining establishments serving local and French cuisine, seven polished meeting rooms, and an opulent ballroom equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the ideal destination for business, leisure, meetings, and gatherings.
ABOUT JÉRÔME PESCHARD:
Dubbed the “Gauguin of Vietnam,” Jérôme Peschard is a self-taught artist whose work reflects a life richly lived and creatively charged. His art bridges the past with the present, blending East and West, while drawing profound inspiration from his adopted home of Vietnam. Characterised by the use of oil on rusted corrugated iron sheets salvaged from local construction sites, his pieces reflect the very essence of Saigon – its history, development, people, culture, and vibrant spirit. Peschard’s unique fusion of Western pop art with Asian influences, inspired by comic book legend Jack Kirby and modern art icons like Basquiat and Warhol, continues to evolve as he explores new themes in his storytelling. In the dynamic energy of Vietnam, Peschard not only found his place in the world, but also his distinctive artistic identity.
Join Us MidTown NYC for An Incredible Prosecco Experience: Taste and Discover with Wine Expert Alan Tardi Wed June 26th at New York Wine Studio
Join Us for An Incredible Prosecco Experience: Taste and Discover with Wine Expert Alan Tardi Wed June 26th at New York Wine Studio
Prosecco has gone from a little known mountain fizz to a vinous superhero, overtaking Champagne (and every other sparkling wine out there) and enjoyed by wine drinkers throughout the world, as the base of a cocktail or an everyday quaff.
But despite its huge popularity, most people don’t know much about it.
And there is much more to Prosecco than many people are aware.
”My objective is to
clarify the critical differences
between the original ancient Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco and
the DOC Prosecco that was enacted in 2010.”
Alan Tardi
New York Wine Studio
Prosecco is produced only in Italy, in the Northern regions of Veneto and Friuli, and there are three official Prosecco appellations.
Prosecco DOC
One of them, Prosecco DOC, was created in 2010. It occupies a huge, mostly flat area encompassing almost two entire regions and accounts for most of the 700+ million bottles of Prosecco produced each year.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG is a tiny area in the foothills of the Dolomites consisting of 15 small municipalities in the province of Treviso. This is the ancient winegrowing area where Prosecco was born and made a miraculous comeback in the aftermath of World War II.
New York Wine Studio’s Alan Tardi
Besides its pedigree, there are numerous factors of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene enclave that distinguish it from any other winegrowing area in the world: complex and diverse topography, variety of soils, native grape varieties, distinct sub-areas, ancient history, and varied typology—bubbly, fizzy, and still; secondary fermentation in tank or in bottle, leaving sediment in the bottle (known as Ancestral Method) or removing it (Traditional Method).
In this class—which takes place right in the middle of National Prosecco DOC week—we will discuss the origin and evolution of Prosecco in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area. We will also examine the two additional Prosecco appellations created in 2010.
But most of the time will be devoted to exploring and tasting Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco through a lineup of 8 exceptional terroir-driven wines, in a variety of styles, that demonstrate the unique characteristics, complexity, and diversity of the original Prosecco.
Participants will also learn how to say “CONEGLIANO VALDOBBIADENE” like an Italian!
Alan Tardi has arranged a fantastic lineup of unusual and exceptional wines (half of them are coming directly from Italy) which demonstrate the various factors that characterize the complexity and uniqueness of Conegliano Valdobbiadene: Different production methods (“Tranquillo” i.e. still, Martinotti, Classico/Traditional, Ancestral); frizzante, spumante; single vineyards, Rive, native grape varieties; diverse, soils, terroirs and topographies.
List of Wines
- Prosecco Tranquillo DOCG “Il Canto Antico” — BORTOLOMIOL*
- Colli Trevigiani IGT Verdiso Frizzante Sui Lieviti — GREGOLETTO
- Progetto 5 Varietà Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Brut — MARCHIORI*
- Conegliano Prosecco Superiore DOCG Rive di Ogliano Extra-Brut — BIANCAVIGNA
- Superiore di Cartizze Brut DOCG — RUGGERI*
- Superiore di Cartizze DOCG “Private” Rifermentato in Bottiglia 2014 — BISOL
- Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Rive di Carpesica “S.C. 1931” Metodo Classico — BELLENDA*
- Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Asciutto, Rive di Colbertarldo, Vigneto Giardino — ADAMI
- Torchiato di Fregona Colli di Conegliano DOCG “Ciàcoe” 2016 — CA’ DI RAJO*
*Shipped directly from the winery in Italy
Find more information and buy tickets at New York Wine Studio or at the link below.
https://www.newyorkwinestudio.com/original-prosecco
Cocktail magic, competition, celebration: Vietnam Cocktail Festival 2024 at iconic Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel
Cocktail magic, competition, celebration: Vietnam Cocktail Festival 2024 at iconic Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel.
MC Petey Majik hosted the 2-day Vietnam Cocktail Festival 2024 June 14-15 celebrating with flavor, masterclasses, magic, competition. Tracie May captured it all.
Photos courtesy of Nick Middleton @glam.foodbev
Tracie May at Vietnam Cocktail Festival 2024
A spectacular 2-day summer celebration, welcomed over 1000 cocktail enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike to the iconic Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel.
The vibrant cocktail carnival featured a dazzling array of over 130 cocktails from 36 premium global spirits, liqueurs and mixer brands.
Fernet Branca poured at Vietnam Cocktail Festival 2024
A gathering of Vietnam’s top mixologists, innovative concoctions were expertly mixed by a combination of the country’s most respected bartenders and up-and-coming talents.
Cocktail Carnival part of Vietnam Cocktail Festival 2024
At the heart of the festival was a showcase of Vietnam’s craftsmanship and creativity, where seasoned mixologists flexed their skills to craft tantalizing libations.
The Botanist at Vietnam Cocktail Festival 2024
From classic cocktails with a Vietnamese twist to avant-garde creations pushing the boundaries of flavor, each drink was a testament to the artistry and innovation within Vietnam’s ever-growing cocktail scene.
For guests inspired to continue the cocktail adventure at home, Mercantile Vietnam provided the option for attendees to purchase a bottle of their favorite brand from the event and have it shipped directly to their door.
Entertainment Extravaganza
The event’s charismatic MC Petey Majik led the carnival atmosphere and captivated the audience with a spellbinding magic show accompanied by igniting cocktail flaring performances from the talented Chương and Phước.
Tracie May with Clase Azul at Vietnam Cocktail Festival 2024
On Friday, the stage was taken over with a charismatic live performance from Vietnam’s premier DJ and saxophone duo Omar and Pierre. The party continued Saturday with the contagious energy of DJ PIA.
Interactive Masterclasses and Exclusive Tasting Room
For spirits connoisseurs the festival also offered a wealth of knowledge with 4 optional interactive masterclasses hosted per day, where industry experts from Lady Triệu, Bruichladdich, Jose Cuervo, Highland Park and Lý Gia Viên shared their craft and insights with eager participants.
Tracie May with Michelin Star Chef:Owner of Ănăn Saigon Peter Cường Franklin
Luxury spirits aficionados could enhance their experience further and purchase tickets to enter the event’s Exclusive Room, featuring personalized tastings from 8 of the world’s super and ultra-premium brands, with a combined retail price of over 600 Million VND.
Competitive Spirit
One of the highlights of the festival was the highly anticipated Best Cocktail, Best Bartender and Best Brand Competitions with guests encouraged to vote for their favorites.
Bartenders from across the country battled it out for top honors.
With precision, flair, and a dash of showmanship, contestants dazzled spectators with their signature creations, showcasing the ingenuity and talent within Vietnam’s cocktail community.
Shanky’s Whip at Vietnam Cocktail 2024
On Saturday 15th June, the 2024 winners were announced: Mai Thanh Phong’s “Banh Mi Saigon” cocktail, made with Matusalem Rum, won Best Cocktail.
Nguyen Tuan Cuong, who works at Yugen Bar and is sponsored by Shanky’s Whip, was named Best Bartender. Also, Jägermeister was awarded Best Brand of the event.
Cultural Fusion
Beyond the cocktails themselves, the festival served as a social celebration of cultural fusion, from modern Vietnamese influences to global trends, the event highlighted the diverse tapestry of brands and the pioneering people shaping the country’s dynamic cocktail scene.
Vietnam’s Cocktail Revolution
As the final glasses were raised and the last drops were savored, the Vietnam Cocktail Festival 2024 left an indelible mark on the hearts and palates of all those who attended. With its vibrant energy, innovative spirit, and unwavering passion for mixology, the festival has undoubtedly cemented its place as a must-attend event on the global cocktail calendar, promising even more excitement and inspiration in the years to come.
Cheers to the next chapter of Vietnam’s cultural cocktail revolution!
Awards were announced on Saturday, June 15th, at 8 PM
Best Cocktail of the Event 2024
- Cocktail Name: Bánh Mì Sài Gòn
- Bartender Name: Mai Thanh Phong
- Brand Name: Matusalem Rum
- Bar Name: Madam Kew Bar
Best Bartender of the Event 2024
- Bartender’s Name: Nguyen Tuan Cuong
- Brand Name: Shanky’s Whip
- Bar Name: Yugen Bar
Best Brand of the Event 2024
- Brand Name: Jägermeister
Participating Brands:
- Large Exhibitors: Lady Triệu, Jose Cuervo, Cointreau
- Medium Exhibitors: Bushmills, Naked Malt, Kaibutsu, 1800, Campari, RCR Crystalleria Italiana.
- Small Exhibitors: Kurayoshi Matsui, Duncan taylor, Lark Distillery, Hangar 1 Vodka, Maestro Dobel, Bruichladdich Distillery Company, Passoa, The Botanist, No3 London Dry Gin, Dictador The Arthouse Spirit Brand, Colombian Gin, Stranger & Sons Gin, Fernet Branca, Espolon Tequila, Michter’s, Shanky’s Whip, Gran Centenario Tequila, Jägermeister, The Kyoto, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, Matusalem, Brookies Byron Gin, Ly Gia Vien, Torani, Fentimans, Mercantile.
Participating Bars (in collaboration with brands):
- Kraken x The Dot Bar
- Sexton x Dram Bar
- Wild Turkey x Lost Birds Bar
- Glenrothes x Firkin Bar
Master Classes: Lady Trieu, Bruichladich, Jose Cuervo, Ly Gia Vien, Highland Park
Photos courtesy of Nick Middleton @glam.foodbev
-
NYC, Bungalow 8 is back! (for one night Apr 29) Gucci Hosts Pop-Up of Iconic New York Nightclub Ahead of Met Gala
NYC: Bungalow 8 is back for one night: Gucci Hosts Pop-Up of Iconic New York Nightclub Ahead of The Met Gala.
Bungalow 8 is back – for one night only.
Gucci will host a Bungalow pop-up in New York City on April 29, just two nights before the Met Gala.
The official invite reads: “Amy Sacco & Gucci invite you to Bungalow Gucci.” Idris Elba will DJ the late-night event.
Amy Sacco opened the original Bungalow 8 in Chelsea in 2001. The small venue located at 515 W. 27th St. became the hottest nightclub in the early and mid 2000s, attracting nightly A-Listers, such as: George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Colin Farrell, Naomi Campbell and every other supermodel, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Heidi Klum.
Even former President Bill Clinton hosted a fundraiser for his presidential library at the club in 2003.
The venue closed in 2009.
VIP guests were given keys to gain entrance along with the invite.
Although tiny in size, compared to the city’s other large dance clubs, Bungalow 8 was the Studio 54 of its time. Since closing, Sacco has hosted pop-ups during the Venice Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival.
The Gucci party is taking place several blocks south of the club’s original location.
The Met Gala is on May 1 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with co-chairs Michaela Coel, Penélope Cruz, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa and Anna Wintour.
The theme is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”
-
Legendary Restauranteur Joseph Costanzo Jr. Reveals all in Fine Dining Memoir “On The Rocks”
Legendary Pittsburgh Restauranteur Joseph Costanzo Jr. Reveals all in his Tasty Memoir with “On The Rocks”
On the Rocks chronicles the real-life journey of restaurateur Joseph Costanzo Jr., from his rise to success in the 1990s as a owner of the highly acclaimed Primadonna Restaurant, radio host, columnist, and aspiring politician to his sharp fall in the early 2000s, ending in an investigation and a stint in federal prison.
Costanzo is a complex character, whom readers will admire for his confidence and rebuke for his arrogance, will love for his generosity and despise for his egotism, and will learn from in both his attention to detail and lack thereof.
This driven, not-your-average-Joe is an unforgettable character who achieves the seemingly impossible but can’t help getting in his own way. Come along with Joe for a bumpy ride on the rocks
On the Rocks: The Primadonna Story, co-written by Maria C. Palmer and Ruthie Robbins is available now on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, Walmart, Target. Signed copies at the Heinz History Center. Also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Today, we’re having a conversation with all three: Joseph Costanzo Jr., co-writers Maria C. Palmer and Ruthie Robbins.
The conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Find the un-edited conversation on our FlavRReport YouTube channel.
Something that I find amazing, this book has been 17 years in the process. Is that an accurate piece of trivia?
Maria C. Palmer: 100%. Yes, that is a very accurate piece of trivia.
So way back 17 years ago, what sparked this for you?
Maria C. Palmer: A couple of things. I think that because the restaurant was such a significant part of our lives, and it was always the highlight of my father’s life. Once it went away, the spark kind of went away, too. And I wanted to bring that back in my Dad. So I started asking him lots of questions about his life. Specifically for a family history. At the time, being a writer myself, in addition to grant writing, I’m also a writer and I can really spot a good story that has commercial value.
On The Rocks co-author Maria C. Palmer
There were just so many wonderful elements to his story. So I started recording some vignettes of different things that had happened throughout his life. But not really knowing and or intending at the time that it would be a book.
But as we went on, I saw that the potential was there and I was lucky enough to still be in contact with my former teacher, Ruthie Dines Robbins and brought the project to her and asked her if she would be willing to work on it with me.
It was really from there that we decided it would become a book and that we would work together diligently for probably 10 years together.
Ruthie Robbins: I’m only 7 years.
Joseph Costanzo Jr.: They had it in Maria’s voice originally. Ruthie was in a book club and they said, “Put it in Joe’s voice and they had to go back and change the whole book.” I watched 11, 000 emails back and forth.
Ruthie Robbins: We were not primarily emailing. We were mostly talking and texting, and that year was the pandemic year. So I was off teaching that winter and the following fall.
Before we get into the restaurant itself, what was the writing process like?
Maria C. Palmer: I can speak to the family history and just the overall process of it. It was really challenging. Because whenever you’re writing a memoir or a biography, You’re not writing a Wikipedia page. So it’s not from the time somebody is born until the time that they pass away.
You’re picking the most poignant time in their lives. Not only cherry picking all the good things that happened during that time period, but you’re picking some of the challenges too, because that’s what makes a good story.
It was challenging to figure out what the storyline was going to be and sometimes to tell those hard parts of the story.
What was even more challenging, was just the nebulous nature of the publishing industry. I just thought you wrote a book, it’s on Amazon and then people buy it. And that could not be further from the truth. Query letters. Polished one page, a 90,000 word manuscript. A whole book proposal. An entire business plan of why we’re writing the book and why it’s going to sell into the market. Requiring that much to not even get a thanks,, but just no response whatsoever.
Ruthie Robbins: Totally agree. The writing was not arduous part because Maria and I get along so well.. We’re real partners, but this publishing thing. We really didn’t understand the process, so it is difficult, and especially in this genre, [competing with] the celebrities and athletes and reality stars who wrote memoirs. They want a name on the shelf that someone will pick up in a bookstore.
Mr. Costanzo, one of my favorite parts of this book is the wine mentions. Tell us your “Pin on the wall” story.
Joseph Costanzo Jr.: Yeah we’re in a tough neighborhood, but we brought in a lot of people outside the area and upscale people, limos, what have you.
I had a bus boy and he was a really good worker. He became a server and he came to me after he got the drink order and said, ”what’s a pin on the wall?”
I never heard of a “Pin on the Wall”. So we went to the bartender. He didn’t know either. We looked it up, nothing.
So I went out there to ask the customers, so we could make it for them – and one of the most mortal sins at the Primadonna was making Joe Costanzo look bad – I said, excuse me what’s in a Pin on a Wall and they all started laughing. The guy said, “Pinot Noir.”
They’re laughing at me. That’s bad. So I went in and I really did a job on this kid. My wife grabbed me by my tie and pushed me downstairs to my office.
I was in this kid’s face because he really wasn’t real serious about the situation. If you’re going to be the best at what you’re doing, you can’t be messing up like that.
He ended up being great. Chris, who was the server, became a maitre’d and a great employee of mine. He was very loyal. I really went overboard with him and I did feel bad about it.
Reviews are incredibly important. The amount of work and effort you put in to get your Four Forks Review. Tell us a little bit about what happened.
Joseph Costanzo Jr.: Because the area was an old steel town which had a reputation of a lot of fighting, a lot of drinking, a lot of drugs, nobody would come into that area to eat.
I knew I needed credibility, and the only way I would get credibility was through the Pittsburgh Post, because the dining critic, Mike Kalina, who was a syndicated columnist, had tremendous credibility. KDKA TV, Post Gazette, New York Daily News.
For two and a half years, I kept reaching out to him. This is in a time before cell phones and emails.
But I knew if he comes down and gives us a good review, people from outside the area, from the upscale areas of the city are going to come in. That’s what happened.
But he did say to me, “You deserve four, but I’ll only give you three because you’ll never handle the business.”
That Friday night, June 3rd 1988, he was 100 percent right. People were lined up at the door. I was used to doing 10-15 dinners a night. We did over 200 dinners that night and it was a total joke. People waited two and a half hours. When food came out of the kitchen, people actually applauded. People were begging me to get him a bottle of vodka because they couldn’t get a drink at the bar.
We were short of service. We were short of bartenders. I made it all work in the next couple of weeks and I hired people.
I don’t want to ruin the upcoming movie or TV series, but when you trimmed it down, how much heartbreak was there in cutting out so many stories?
Joseph Costanzo Jr.: It was very tough. We had a book signing in August. I kept telling people they were in the book, and they were in the draft I read. But there were final touches that I didn’t see and we lost a lot of names and alot of stories. So I really felt bad. I found the actual early draft and sent copies to those people. This should be in a book, but it will be in the movie, I guarantee you.
Ruthie Robbins: It was so hard. We did a lot of fact checking when we wrote, because memories are so unreliable. We talked to people who were in the original book [draft] and they expected to be more. And on top of that, you try to end the chapter on a cliffhanger. When you take out a story that changes the number of pages in the chapter, it changes the pace of the book. That was a terrible editing challenge.
Maria, what was that like for you as the author and the daughter?
Maria C. Palmer: Originally the book was written partially in my voice and partially in my Dad’s voice. It started chronologically for me in my twenties and [had] flashbacks because the story starts in 1986 and I was very young at that time. It was confusing and it didn’t work. Everything that I wrote and all that I put my heart and soul into was all cut from the book. So now I have another book project that I’m working on.
But I will echo what my father and Ruthie said. It was hard because everybody did have a significant piece to the Primadonna story.
Mr. Costanza, it would be an easy assumption to say you’ve lived a big life. Are there one or two things you would have done differently in the stories of the book now looking back on them?
Joseph Costanzo Jr.: Sure. When you are hitting all home runs, you tend to believe that everything that you do is gonna be a home run. I had the most popular restaurant in Western Pennsylvania. Maybe I’m going to do something else, maybe I’ll go into politics.
I spent about $300,000 of my own money to put my name out there. Most people loved Joe Costanzo, but now when you get into politics it’s not that way. So that was probably my biggest regret.
My wife begged me not to do it. She said, Joe, we have a miracle here and you’re going to try for another miracle. And she was right. You may or may not like Joe Costanzo when you read the book, but you will love Donna Costanzo.
Joseph Costanzo Jr.: And that’s bottom line. Everybody says the same thing. Joe, it was great. What he did is impossible, but his wife was a saint for putting up with all this stuff that a restaurateur has to go through.
The theme of hospitality comes out in the book, but you so clearly love people. What has it been like getting all these people’s responses to this story?
Joseph Costanzo Jr.: This has been unbelievable for me. People are very happy that this all happened this way. I treated people really well and people wanted to reciprocate. So exhilarating to me. My life has been very boring, but now it’s really gotten to the point where it’s been great thanks to Maria and Ruthie.
Ruthie Robbins: It’s heartwarming. Especially from former students, the outpouring has brought me to tears sometimes. It’s reconnecting with people over the book. That has really been so wonderful
Maria C. Palmer: This has been such a 17 year journey. I always believed that there was something special about this story. Seeing that exactly what I felt in my gut for 17 years is actually playing out in real life.
Whenever we’re in Pittsburgh, it is almost surreal because people are talking about “On The Rocks and it’s really cool and crazy to know that something that you created means so much for people.
Joseph Costanzo Jr.: The big thing which is amazing to me is that the book came out August 8th, 2023. For two weeks, the book was the number one bestselling ebook on Amazon for culinary memoirs. Ahead of Anthony Bourdain’s, Kitchen Confidential and Stanley Tucci’s Taste “On the Rocks” for over two weeks was the number one overall best-selling ebook. Now that’s hard to believe because this was just a Western Pennsylvania thing and Bourdain and Tucci are worldwide known authors and entertainers.
Tell us where we can find the book and all the ways we can keep in touch with this story.
Maria C. Palmer: So the book is really wherever books are sold. We’re on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, Walmart, Target. We’re also at most bookstores. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Ruthie Robbins: There’s also signed copies at the Heinz History Center.
-
NYC is falling in love with a New Champagne, lets talk with Champagne Jeeper
NYC is falling in love with a New Champagne
It’s easy to fall in love with champagne. Life celebrations. Work success. Life’s best memories (hello weddings, anniversaries, babies, birthdays). If you’re ready to try a new champagne, this is for you.
Today we had the amazing opportunity to talk (via zoom) with Jeeper Champagne’s Camille Cox. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. For the full conversation, visit our YouTube channel.
Can you share a favorite memory where you celebrated with champagne?
Oh, there’s, God, there’s so many. I can’t even begin to tell you. But the one thing I can say is that you always should carry champagne because in victory you deserve champagne and in defeat you need it. That was Napoleon Bonaparte, if I’m not mistaken?
I think my most memorable toast with champagne are personal victories And, of course, business victories as you can imagine. I’ve been selling champagne for a very long time, and I can name a couple that come to mind. One of them a few years back was getting business at the Delta Airlines lounges. Putting another maison there. At the time, the house that I was working for at the time that was a big victory in itself. And just little victories in life each and every day. Every day is a celebration.
It’s all relative in how you look at it and how you live your life, but I think every day calls for champagne, to be completely honest with you.
I love that, ‘Everyday calls for champagne’. Jeeper has an interesting story behind it based on the end of World War II.
Can you give us just a very brief history lesson of Jeeper that brings us up to present day?
So, as you know, many champagne houses have great stories, and that’s the great thing about Champagne. Every Maison has their story and the fact that you get to go back and find out how it became is super fascinating to me.
When I had the chance to join Jeeper, I went back to look at the story. A family started making champagne in the 1800s. It had its heyday and then it floundered. It changed hands for quite some time. Then a gentleman by the name of Armand Goutorbe, who was working his family vineyards, had to be called to war and ended up in a house in an undisclosed location because everybody was fighting against the resistance at that time.
He happened to be holed up in a place with some American soldiers and they were being bombed and consequently they were all trying to help save each other’s lives. History tells us that Armand was a gentleman who took it upon himself to risk his own life, to pull some American GIs away from the building that was going to be bombed, possibly losing their lives.
In doing so, he impeded his leg and went back to looking over his vineyards in Champagne. The hills aren’t high, but they’re steep. His leg impeded his day-to-day operations. The US army got ahold of the story and some of the soldiers that he saved wanted to pay tribute to him and in all humbleness to thank him for saving their lives. So the US military gave him a Willie’s Jeep, and he rode around in the villages and he became known as “Mr. Jeeper Man”. Two years later, he said, I think I’m just gonna name my vineyards Jeeper. So there it was born Jeeper in 1949 because of a wonderful gift that the US Army bequeathed to him.
We still have the Jeep today on property.
Can we talk about the terroir of the region?
We are located in Faverolles et Coëmy, a commune near Reims in the north-west of the Champagne region. In the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs and the Marne Valley.
We are mostly a chardonnay house and we use Chardonnay as our primary grape.
We make eight different wines under the Jeeper label. We have two great certifications for being biodynamic and organic. Our flagship for the winery is our Blanc de Blanc. Our bottles are color coded in terms of the labels so that they stand out significantly to consumers.
That area has cool nights. A little bit of frost, but beautiful, pristine, crisp grapes from those regions, from the sub regions in Champagne. We own about 80 hectares. We don’t buy any grapes. We use our own grapes. We have the capacity to make 3.5 million bottles, but we hope to make more with some partnerships that we’ve kind of acquired.
Having Michel Reybier as a new partner with Nicholas, the current owner of and partner, who makes the wines too. Nicholas Dubois makes us stand apart from that we’re not right in the middle of Reims. We’re out there, believe it or not.
So when you come to Reims, you’re not gonna see us. You’re gonna have to get on the train or take a little cab and make it to Jeeper.
I love talking about process. Our audience is a mix of very basic drinkers up to connoisseurs.
So can you share a little bit of the process and how, how, what, what makes your champagne so unique?
What makes us a little bit more unique is a lot of champagne houses only use steel vats. We’re still kind of old school. We do use some Burgundy barrels. We have one of the biggest barrel rooms behind Krug and Bollinger. We have about 1200 barrels that we use. So for instance, our Grande Assemblage, which happens to be our brut non vintage, we age 20% of the chardonnay that we use in that blend for two years in used burgundy oak barrels and then we do the aging of the lees. We lay it down for about four years. So that’s two years for the 20% Chardonnay laying down for two years. Then the four years makes it a total of six years. So you get a totally different taste. There’s a little bit of maturity there with the oak barrels.
It’s something completely different. I’ve worked for houses that were stainless steel, so this is something new for me as well too. The aging process, there is some lactic, it just depends on which cuvee we’re speaking about.
Withholding our wines a little bit longer. We’re not big production, we’re not a grower champagne house by any means. We’re just over the hump as a boutique champagne house. We’re just getting started here in the United States. Our biggest production and where we sell the most champagne is in France.
But opening up the United States, it’s tough to build a champagne brand in the US, believe it or not. It’s super tough.
You have to find a way to differentiate yourself, what makes you stand out. I think that’s Jeeper having the name and the story and the total difference of not having stainless steel aging, and that we’re malolactic and that we do use oak barrels in some of our cuvee’s.
One of the reasons I wanted to talk to you is a few weeks ago when I had the chance to actually taste through the bottles, they did have such a unique taste.
So let’s talk about the actual bottles.
I’ve mentioned the Grande Assemblage, which is our brut non-vintage. It’s a green label, and I just told you a little bit about that. But the one that is our flagship is our Blanc De Blanc.
I think our bottles are beautiful. We have a patent on the bottle. People notice how easy it was to take off the foil.
So there’s still a little label underneath the foil that says Jeeper, which is kind of neat for us and it speaks volumes because it doesn’t leave you a mess or end up getting paper cuts from the foil cuts.
The Blanc de Blanc is big, full-bodied, rich. Also super elegant. It’s clean. It’s crisp, even though it has a big mouthful.
Our champagnes are the categories in the last 7 to 10 years that have really ended up getting some traction. I think people are walking away from the norm. They’re walking away from big commercial houses because they wanna see what else is out there.
Their curious is curiosity’s sake and I think it’s really helped the champagne business. I think the champagne business has always been cyclical, but in the last 7 to 10 years, it’s really gotten a hold and people are really embracing champagne to great success
Because there’s so many beautiful wines out there, so many different styles and so many cool things that you can learn. I think the more the people, because of the terroir, I always say that champagne is a reflection of the mood of the terroir.
Champagne, the terroir from where we are, its chalky soil limestone. It lends itself to so many different characteristics in the wine. We’re not a big vintage champagne house. 2008 was probably one of the best vintages of the century. It was gone in a flash. With our 2008, we age it for 12 years on the lees. It’s 88% Chardonnay and 12% Pinot Noir. So there’s that wonderful characteristic and it has a little maturity on it, a little oxidation.
I’m a vintage champagne girl and a no dousage champagne girl so this one fits the bill for me, but it may not be for everyone’s taste profile.
I can always tell at the beginning when I’m doing a tasting with the two lead wines that you start off with in Champagne, what someone is gonna like in the rest of the range. It never fails me. It’s always about 95% full proof.
It’s so subjective. The 2008 for me is interesting. We’re getting ready to release a new release of Blanc de Blanc coming in May, which I’m super excited about. It’ll be no dousage.
We also now have a partnership, as I mentioned, one of our owners, Michel Repier. There’s a gentleman by the name of Tony Parker, who’s a former four-time NBA champion. A hall of famer. I was just with him a couple weeks ago. Super, super person. He told us his story about where he came from and how much he loves gastronomy. He’s French. A lot of people don’t realize that. He’s from Lyon, and I’m sure the Parisians would beg to differ, but Lyon is supposedly now the gastronomy capital of Paris. So we have him as an ambassador; a gentleman who really loves wine and is very enamored with it, wants to roll his sleeves up.
He’s helped us with our Rose project that we have in Provence, but helping me with Jeeper as well. It’s a great collaboration. It’s been great for me, for the brand, for helping us build the brand here in the US because we’re building our distribution network.
Which is not an easy thing to do, as I can tell you having done it for many years. So we’re looking for new partners that want to build a brand with us who we want to be on the ground floor with. I feel like the people that bring you to the party are the people you need to stick to.
It’s easy to be a fair weather friend, but I am all about loyalty and building a brand with someone. And making it happen. The wine business is exploding, so there’s a lot of opportunities out there. It’s just finding our niche and letting people know the story and taste the wines.
I don’t know that champagne gets enough love when it comes to food. Let’s talk about food pairings.
A previous maison I worked for didn’t want us to suggest pairing champagne with chocolate or strawberries. I think that fallacy of Pretty Woman when she’s having her “floor picnic” as she called it in the movie. She’s drinking champagne and having strawberries – they are very acidic. But I think it’s really what you want to do.
Do I think it’s the best pairing? Absolutely not.
I’ve gone through this with many chefs in the past where I’ve asked them not to use chocolate or strawberries, and [while they weren’t happy with that] luckily they did talk to me at the very end of it, but they weren’t very happy. But there’s so many great things out there that you can pair champagne with and the new thing is, Champagne and chicken fried chicken.
As a southerner, I’m a fried chicken lover. It’s an incredible pairing.
I also think sea salt potato chips with a non-dosage champagne are absolutely fabulous. But let’s look at the classics. What about ratatouille from France? You know, something that you don’t really ever think about. It’s always the ones that are there that you can think about.
Gratin potatoes are an amazing pairing if you’re a big potato lover as I am. It’s just great. So I think the sky’s the limit depending on what it is you’re drinking. Of course, no dosage champagnes aren’t gonna be great with everything. I also love Dim Sum and champagne, to be completely honest with you.
So all the pairings that are non-traditional, if you will, kind of thinking outside the box. Really making it an opportunity to see: where you can take it? Are you gonna push the limit? I’m all about pushing the limits on a lot of things. Nobody should be chastised for that on any level.
So if somebody likes what they like, they like what they like. I think the traditional [concept] many years ago: Are you having chicken for dinner? You can only have white [wine]. I love the fact that that’s out the door now.
People learn more and more about wine every day. They’re so enamored with it. I think the pandemic gave us all an opportunity to stop, take a minute, take a breath, slow down, maybe enjoy things or get into things that we didn’t have the time to do. I think gastronomy is one of them.
People now love to make food at home. People love to drink wine at home. We saw that with the pandemic. There’s a lot of opportunity, everywhere you look. I like the classics. I’m a foodie.
But I love food and I think drinking it the way you want to drink it and the way you want to enjoy is paramount. Paramount. I don’t think there should be any rules put around that on any level.
As everyone’s hearing the Jeeper story and getting to know your bottles, what can our audience do for Jeeper Champagne?
Helping Jeeper is to buy some [bottles] where we’re distributed. Give something new a chance. Wherever you buy wine, take an opportunity to just treat yourself to something completely different because you never know what’s gonna happen.
It could end up being your favorite wine and you just don’t realize it. Expand your opportunity and your horizons, and that’s what life is all about.
Think outside the box. Live a little, okay. You, you bought a bottle, but there’s some great champagnes out there that are really economical. We know we’ve taken a little bit of a price increase, but treat yourself, you’ll be glad that you did. I think it, it expands your horizons and makes you see so many other things you didn’t see
Where can we find Jeeper Champagne on social media to follow?
Jeeper is on most major social media channels. Please give us a follow and visit our website at: https://www.champagne-jeeper.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ChampagneJeeper/
https://www.instagram.com/champagnejeeper/
https://twitter.com/ChampagneJeeper
Camille, thank you so much for your time. I loved hearing the stories.
Thank you so much!
