by Paige Donner
Wine and food pairings. A natural.
Wine and music pairings. Love the original inspiration of this since a few years back.
Wine and Renoir pairings?
This was the theme of a recent champagne tasting in Paris held at the picturesque Musée Montmartre's Jardins Renoir or Montmartre Museum's Renoir Gardens which overlook the Clos Montmartre in the shadow of the Sacré-Coeur.
A more idyllic location in Paris on a sunny early Autumn evening could not be imagined.
- Musée Montmartre Jardins Renoir - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014
- Musée Montmartre Jardins Renoir - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014
- Musée Montmartre Jardins Renoir - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014
- Musée Montmartre Jardins Renoir - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014
- Musée Montmartre Jardins Renoir - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014
- Musée Montmartre Jardins Renoir - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014
- Musée Montmartre Jardins Renoir - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014
- Musée Montmartre Jardins Renoir - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014
All photos copyright 2014 Paige Donner All Rights Reserved
And there was method to this artistic madness... A group of champagne houses from the Aube region, around the village of Essoyes, to be exact, banded together to show off their champagnes and display them with the particular Renoir painting they felt paired the best with their chosen cuvée.
The historical reference is that Renoir lived in Essoyes with his wife and children during the summer months starting in 1895. There is now a foundation established to restore this heritage house where Renoir kept an atelier on the ground floor, overlooking the garden.
Today the village welcomes art enthusiasts and Renoir-lovers in its L'Espace des Renoir et l'Atelier du peintre. They have fondly named this area the Côté des Renoir. The participating champagnes located in and around the Côté des Renoir are Champagne de Barfontarc, Champagne Jacques de France, Champagne Drappier, Champagne R. Dumont & Fils, Champagne Rémy Massin & Fils, Champagne Thierry Mercuzot, Champagne Richardot, Champagne Cristian Senez, Champagne Charles Collin and Champagne Chassenay d'Arce.
More information, including photos of the paintings each house chose to represent their champagne, can be found at www.renoir-essoyes.com
