Champagne a la Piscine

As the summer approaches, certain destinations come to mind for travel. The French Riviera will always be on the top of my travel list. A destination known for glitz, glam and fun, it became a playground for the jet set crowd. Champagne a la Piscine (Champagne by the Pool), was the driving force for the creation of a new style of Champagne. French Champagne House Moet et Chandon, always a visionary in the making of champagne, knew there was a need to offer a drink that was specifically tailored to day time day drinking. Enter, Ice Imperial, the first and only champagne created to be enjoyed over ice. Moet et Chandon’s Benoit Gouez conceived the Moet Ice Imperial while remaining true to the Moet & Chandon style, by offering a blend so unique, a deep gold color that glitters in the sun, and a sumptuous aroma of fruit.

Imperial Ice, more casually known as Moet Ice is best served chilled in a goblet, on ice, with berries and mint leaves.

“Several years ago, champagne served over ice—known as a ‘piscine’—was becoming more and more popular, particularly in the summertime hotspots around the South of France,” says Moët & Chandon’s Chef de Cave Benoît Gouez. “Of course, nobody wants to drink warm champagne in the summer, but as a winemaker, I was concerned about the effect the ice has on the wine: It dilutes the champagne and totally breaks the balance that I—and my fellow Chefs de Caves—work so hard to achieve. So I was inspired to create a cuvée to be served over ice, and in 2011 Moët Ice Impérial was launched.” – Chef de Caves, Benoit Gouez.