Bubbles for Brunch

By Timothy Coghlan

The economic bubble may have burst long ago in Japan, but bubbles of a different kind still persist in many venues across Tokyo. Synonymous with celebration, celebrities, good time and good taste, champagne is the drink of choice for many occasions. Demand for champagne worldwide is on the rise and recently experts in the wine industry have been talking about the current ‘wine revolution,’ with prices expected to rise in the coming months.

To date, champagne brands such as Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon have tried to take the taste buds of Japan’s drinkers away from the traditional karakuchi (dry and sour) spirits such as shochu and sake that the older and more affluent generations grew up on. This challenge is slowly being eliminated by young consumers who have been raised on Western cuisine and an over supply of TV shows and magazines dedicated to modern dining. In general this change in drinking culture is a blessing for wine brands, however, it has also brought about other problems. For Charles-Antoine Picart, Brand Director for Dom Pérignon in Japan, one of his main challenges is controlling the brand’s image of creativity, seduction and luxury. For luxury brands, more customers are not necessarily a sought after thing, as too many regular consumers have the effect of watering down a brand’s perceived status. Situations such as people drinking directly from the bottle are exactly the type of behavior brands like Dom Pérignon try to avoid, as they aim for the high-end luxury market that treats those worthy to a classy and sophisticated ‘Hyatt and Ritz–Carlton’ type of experience.

To maintain their image and contact with customers, many of the champagne and wine companies conduct educational dinners at some of the most expensive hotels around Tokyo. These intimate dinners are usually held in private function rooms and feature a specialized chef and select wines chosen by the inhouse sommelier. Champagne brands also conduct their own promotional events throughout the year, often collaborating with celebrity designers or other luxury brands. Since 2006 the Creative Director for Dom Pérignon has been none other than famous fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. He has done special projects with Dom Pérignon Rosé and his current campaigns feature European supermodels Eva Herzigova and Claudia Schiffer in sensual and alluring scenes. Last November Dom Pérignon also collaborated with designer Marc Newson to introduce a special lime-green ice bucket, which is on display and for sale in selected high-end establishments around Tokyo.

Despite the emergence of other Asian economies, there is still no other connoisseur market like Japan when it comes to luxury dining establishments that feature prestige wines and scotches. Even in Europe there may not be a country who’s customers are as discerning and willing to spend as in Japan. To take advantage of this situation, many of the top hotels in Tokyo put on special champagne brunches every weekend. The popularity of these brunches is proven by the fact that the hotels don’t go to any great effort to promote their brunches, yet they are always well attended. Three hotels offering champagne brunches include the Park Hyatt, the Grand Hyatt and the Ritz–Carlton.

Timothy is a freelance style and design writer and can be contacted at timkyo@gmail.com