A Moët & Chandon evening at Cornes' members-only restaurant & bar, 1861.

1861 x Moët & Chandon dinner

Cornes Motors, located in Ginza 7-chome, Tokyo, operates the following1861This is a restaurant and bar called "[Name of restaurant/bar]".

It's hard to believe, but it's already been about three years since my last visit. Time really flies.

So, I recently had the pleasure of visiting 1861 again after a very long time, and I'd like to share my experience.

The previous event was a collaboration dinner event with Moët Hennessy Diageo.However, this time it's a collaboration dinner with Moët & Chandon.

Three years ago, I disliked champagne or sparkling wine more than still wine (it would make me feel sick), but perhaps I've developed a tolerance by drinking it occasionally over the past three years? I've grown to be able to enjoy champagne very much.

I don't really need to grow up when it comes to alcohol at this age, but since I've grown up, I have no choice but to drink (lol).

Upon entering the store, the first thing that greets you is the cars handled by Cornes, parked in a space surrounded by wine cellars.

The vehicles displayed here change every month, so even if you visit frequently, you can enjoy seeing a different car each time.

The car on display that day was a Ferrari F50. It's bright red and looks absolutely fantastic!

Being able to display such wonderful Ferraris and other cars in the restaurant on a monthly basis is something unique to Cornes' restaurants, isn't it?

There is a bar counter next to your car where you can enjoy meals, including light snacks.

On the counter that day was Macallan's 200th anniversary edition, Time: Space Mastery.

But for us, the star of the show today is definitely Moët & Chandon.

We were guided up to the second floor.

These miniature cars are beautifully displayed on the stairs; they're really cute and stylish.

On this day, the table in the room we were shown to had a total of seven people: one group of three and two groups of two.

One of the two people here is my husband and me, but the other five people are meeting each other for the first time, so that's another exciting and enjoyable aspect of the event.

Just like last time, everyone I've met here has been a gentleman or lady, and the conversations have been enjoyable; they're all truly wonderful people.

Just as I had hoped, this was another incredibly enjoyable encounter, and I had a fantastic dinner filled with lots of laughter.

Moët & Chandon Moët Imperial

Dinner naturally began with Moët & Chandon's signature Moët Impérial.

Next, the Rosé Impérial was served, and I was really pleased that all of these Impérials were served in magnum bottles.

With so many people, even a magnum bottle gets emptied pretty quickly, but you don't usually see so many magnum bottles being emptied at once except at big parties, so it really heightens the sense of excitement.

Ah, you can't really tell the size just by putting two Magnums side by side in the photo (lol) ↓

Everyone has gathered, and the meal is about to begin.

This dinner is a pairing with Moët & Chandon champagne, so various Moët champagnes will be served to complement your meal.

The person who explained the various types of Moët & Chandon champagnes to us this time was Champagne Brand Ambassador Timothy Beck.

They provided a very clear and easy-to-understand explanation of various aspects of champagne, including its history, the different types, and even the manufacturing process.

Incidentally, Timothy speaks three languages (English, Japanese, and French), so his explanation that day was delivered in very fluent Japanese.

Moët & Chandon Collection Impérial Creation No. 1

Next, the champagne served as a pairing was "Collection Imperiale Creation No. 1".

While non-vintage champagnes are usually produced consistently every year, this is a rare and special champagne that is not released every year, as it is made by blending seven selected vintage champagnes.

This exceptional champagne is made by blending 2013 wine aged in stainless steel tanks with barrel-aged wines (2006, 2008, 2000, 2010, 2012), and a 2004 champagne that had already undergone secondary fermentation in the bottle. The blend is then further fermented (meaning the 2004 champagne underwent three ferments).

The label is apparently the same as the label of Moët & Chandon's very first champagne.

This was really, really delicious.

Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2016

Next up is "Grand Vintage 2016".

This is apparently the 77th vintage, created by interpreting the unique characteristics of grapes harvested in a specific year (2016).

We were looking at this bottle and listening to the explanation, "This is a 2016 vintage," but the question that eventually came up was, "So why does it say 2026 on the bottle?" and we all burst out laughing.

It definitely looks like 2026, doesn't it? (laughs)

But actually, the first "2" and the third number are slightly different, aren't they? So, this one says "2016".

Well, since this year is 2026, it certainly does look like it says 2026, doesn't it? ^^

Everyone was already having a great time at this point, and when we were talking briefly about our backgrounds, someone made a comment based on a misunderstanding, which made us all laugh so much. It was really fun.

Everyone gathered here came from diverse backgrounds, but they were all truly fun and wonderful people, and I had a very happy and enjoyable time.

Of course, I also received a lot of inspiration.

And when the meal turned to meat, red wine was paired with it.

It was a Moët & Chandon pairing dinner, but it was a pleasant surprise that they served red wine with the meat dish.

Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial

The last drink served was a champagne called "Ice Imperial," which is meant to be drunk with ice.

With its more fruity flavor, this champagne is perfect for summer.

While you can certainly drink it without ice, this champagne is designed to be more balanced when ice is added, as the melted water helps to enhance the flavor. So, I highly recommend drinking Ice Impérial with ice.

This is perfect for drinking outdoors on a hot summer day!

Wow, it was truly a time filled with nothing but champagne from beginning to end.

Incidentally, it seems that Moët & Chandon champagne sells one bottle every second worldwide. Amazing.

Another thing that surprised me that day was that Moët Imperial is made from Pinot Noir red grapes.

Although it uses red grapes, unlike when making red wine, only the grape juice is used, and the skins are not used, so the color is white.

And it was Dom Pérignon who first made champagne using this Pinot Noir (also known as black grape).

Speaking of firsts, it was a day where I learned all sorts of fun trivia, such as the fact that Moët & Chandon was apparently the very first champagne used in the champagne celebrations at Formula 1 races.

But actually, everyone was in a good mood, having had a few drinks and having a great time, so they were bombarding Ambassador Timothy with all sorts of questions.

"Moët & Chandon was created when the 'Moët family' and the 'Chandon family' got married, so does that mean 'Dom Pérignon' was created when the 'Dom family' and the 'Pérignon family' got married?!" That kind of question came up, and it was just too funny (lol).

*Dom Pérignon is named in homage to the monk who is said to have created the first champagne.

I also learned a lot about dosage, including detailed figures (such as how many grams of sugar are in each champagne), which was very educational.

Also, something I had absolutely no idea about, is that the sugar used for dosage in Moët & Chandon champagne isn't regular sugar, but rather beet-derived sugar (i.e., beet sugar).

I love beets and eat them often, but I was surprised to learn that beets contain so much sugar.

Oh, I see, that's why I can't lose weight—because I love beets and eat them all the time... (lol).

That being said, this day was also filled with wonderful encounters and conversations with great people, and it was a fantastic evening with delicious drinks (Moët & Chandon).

Thank you so much to the lovely couple, the three wonderful companions, and everyone from 1861 and Timothy for a truly fun and wonderful evening.

It was a fantastic night filled with lots of laughter ^^ I'm so happy.

Related Sites:Corn's Membership Restaurant & Bar 1861

Related article:A Moët Hennessy Diageo Evening at 1861 Membership Restaurant and Bar in Cornes