Three Michelin-starred French chef and Mo&euml;t &amp; Chandon brand ambassador Yannick All&eacute;no talks to L&rsquo;OFFICIEL about champagne and the holiday season along with his wife, Laurence Bonnel.

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/moet-and-chandon-lofficiel-100-year-champagne-celebration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mo&euml;t &amp; Chandon</a> and L&rsquo;OFFICIEL join forces to celebrate a shared centennial milestone. While the champagne house celebrates the 100-year anniversary of it's 1921 Grand Vintage Collection, a masterpiece of excellence in wine, L'OFFICIEL honors a <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/jessica-chastain-movies-interview-eyes-of-tammy-faye-scenes-from-a-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">century of style</a>. 
In attendance at the French-infused celebration was Michelin Star French chef and Mo&euml;t &amp; Chandon brand ambassador Yannick All&eacute;no, who appropriately prepared the celebratory dinner, and his wife, a sculptor, Laurence Bonnel. While the chef ultimately opted to pair the 1921 cuv&eacute;e with his culinary experience, All&eacute;no sampled through other decades of champagne, including a special 1933 vintage, effectively tasting through moments in French history.

L&rsquo;OFFICIEL: Why did you choose this cuv&eacute;e for the celebration?
Yannick All&eacute;no: The Grand Vintage Collection 1921 is a legendary, 100-year-old champagne crafted during the dawn of the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/return-of-the-roaring-20s-for-fashion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roaring &lsquo;20s</a> that has since become a treasured symbol of Mo&euml;t &amp; Chandon&rsquo;s winemaking savoir-faire. It was born the same year that L'OFFICIEL set off on its own epic journey from a chronicle of the burgeoning fashion industry in Paris to a global powerhouse at the crossroads of fashion, art, culture, style, and design. It&rsquo;s also the best year of the last century and around those fantastic vintage bottles, I had to create things to have the perfect match and pairing, so we decided to fix different tastes and propose to our guests something really special tonight.&nbsp;
 L&rsquo;O: Have you been to Champagne before?
Laurence Bonnel: Yes, we love the beauty of the place. It is very calm and there are a lot of vineyards everywhere. This morning we saw a lot of fog so it was very mysterious.
YA: When I came to Mo&euml;t &amp; Chandon for the first time, it was to understand what champagne is. I went there many times to understand what is happening in the wine cellars and the history of France, of course. When you have the opportunity to collaborate with such a brand as Mo&euml;t &amp; Chandon, you can learn the history of our country, and when you're looking in the past of course, you can absorb the future, so that&rsquo;s what we did, a lot of work with changing the way of the ap&eacute;ritif, how to propose the bottle differently. The experience around that wine is something very interesting for our guests.

L&rsquo;O: What is your favorite way to drink champagne?
LB: I like it for an ap&eacute;ritif a lot, to share a special or intimate moment with friends.
YA: That&rsquo;s the best way to appreciate it. In an intimate moment.
 L'O: Do you prefer to drink it in a coupe or in a flute?
LB: I prefer a wine glass. I have the impression that there&rsquo;s more taste, more aromatics.
YA: Sometimes, we forget about the complexity of wine. Of course, the glass changes the feel of the wine.&nbsp;

L'O: Do you have any holiday traditions?
LB: We are not much of a fan of Christmas songs, but I would say that I like to watch this very traditional film that you hate, with Cameron Diaz and Jude Law, The Holiday.&nbsp;
YA: I don't like that film because I&rsquo;m jealous of Jude Law.
 L'O: How do you celebrate New Year's Eve?
YA: With a lot of champagne! On New Year&rsquo;s Eve I&rsquo;m always working, so we have a traditional end of service with caviar and champagne, and after that we go to Italy for the week. When you have restaurants, it&rsquo;s a very fantastic period but very intense, too. We have to be focused on work and enjoy our time later on.&nbsp;

Photo: Mathieu César

Chef Yannick Alléno & Laurence Bonnel Sip Through French History with Moët & Chandon

L'OFFICIEL USA December 2024 - Julianne Moore Cover

Chef Yannick Alléno & Laurence Bonnel Sip Through French History with Moët & Chandon

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