Oceania Cruises and Dom Pérignon: The Perfect Pairing
What happens when an iconic Champagne house joins forces with the world’s leading culinary cruise line? The result is gastronomic fireworks
Champagne is front and centre of most jubilant events and milestone moments throughout our lives. We raise a glass at weddings, landmark birthdays, when our children graduate from university and to herald the start of a new year.
Not to mention the countless bottles smashed over the hulls of gleaming new ships to toast their maiden voyage; a ritual dating as far back as 1891, when Queen Victoria launched Navy cruiser HMS Royal Arthur by breaking a bottle of fizz against it.
For this reason, and many more, Oceania Cruises has joined forces with Dom Pérignon to offer an exciting new Champagne pairing dinner at sea.
The luxurious six-course Dom Pérignon Experience is a one-of-a-kind culinary adventure, blending playful Dom Pérignon vintages with gastronomic marvels such as Sakura Tea ‘Geisha Flower’ ice cream and lemon caviar.
Six remarkable courses, each accompanied by a different expression and vintage of Dom Pérignon Champagne, are beautifully presented to guests dining at Oceania Cruises’ La Reserve restaurant.
The effortlessly matched dishes are crafted to coax out the nuances of the grapes (always a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) and the particular ratio used in each selected blend for a truly special experience.
Sip a cold flute of Dom Pérignon Rose 2004 alongside seared wagyu beef served sashimi style, with sautéed arugula, blood orange-soya jus and caviar perlita. Or explore the ripe tropical fruit notes and creamy complexity of Dom Pérignon 2006 with a sensuous black truffle risotto crowned with shavings of aged Parmesan.
Diners lucky enough to lend their palettes to this wonderland of flavours will take their place in history as an Oceania cruise ship is the only place anywhere in the world that you can dive nose-first into the experience.
The intimate, exclusive dinner is available only to cruisers travelling on Marina and Riviera, and is offered to a maximum of 24 guests at a time.
‘We created this dinner to be sophisticated, memorable, a little bit decadent, but also a lot of fun. After all, champagne is all about celebration,' said Bob Binder, president and chief executive officer of Oceania Cruises.
‘We worked with the team at Dom Pérignon to pair the perfect champagnes with the perfect flavours and the outcome is spectacular.’
From Brittany Blue lobster in yellow curry broth with coco foam to juicy scallops served with roasted pineapple, each beguiling bite is a celebration of the finer things in life and just one more example of why Oceania Cruises is a favourite among gastronomes.
‘We’ve gone to exceptional lengths to pair the flavours of the dishes and the accompanying vintages to bring out the best in each other, and surprise the palates of our dinner guests,’ said Bernhard Klotz, vice president of culinary operations for Oceania Cruises.
‘This will be an experience I hope our guests are talking about, with the fondest of memories, 20 years from now.’
Given that Oceania Cruises already enjoys a watertight union with Wine Spectator, the magazine for wine connoisseurs, it’s perhaps no surprise that the cruise line continues on its quest to transcend the boundaries of what is considered possible on the ocean waves.
As for Dom Pérignon itself, the Champagne brand named after a 17th century Benedictine monk is said to have been a personal favourite of Princess Diana, with 99 bottles of the bubbly rumoured to have been drunk at her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.
It certainly gets our royal seal of approval, with the Dom Pérignon Experience a clear recipe for success. Long may the legendary partnership continue.
Oceania Cruises’ Dom Pérignon Experience is open for dinner on board Marina & Riviera only. Reservations required. Wine or Champagne experience surcharge applies.
Visit oceaniacruises.com for more information.
