Discover the Krug Single Ingredient: Extraordinary Once-in-a-Lifetime Culinary Experiences

This fall, Indagare is pleased to announce we’re partnering with Krug Champagne on a special series of exclusive itineraries featuring one-of-a-kind cuvée tastings and culinary experiences with top chefs at three of Indagare’s favorite boutique hotels in the U.S. Ideal for epicureans, this trio of brand-new Indagare Insider Journeys with Krug are special immersions into the culinary creativity of top chefs Matt Kammerer, Cassidee Dabney and Nathan Rich. These superstar chefs will create unforgettable recipes for each Krug Grande Cuvée and Krug Rosé Édition at three favorite Indagare hotels that highlight the flower in gastronomy. Each of the Krug Indagare Insider Journey experiences is designed to uncover the essence of the single ingredient in its purest form and deepen connections with nature at Harbor House Inn in Mendocino, Twin Farms, in Barnard, Vermont, and Blackberry Farm, in Walland, Tennessee. 

“These journeys represent an extraordinary collaboration,” says Indagare CEO Melissa Biggs Bradley. “All three itineraries have been meticulously crafted to deliver sensory explorations of terroir in each destination, complemented by specially selected Krug Champagnes. We’re thrilled that Harbor House Inn, Twin Farms and Blackberry Farm—three top Indagare properties known for their distinctive character, charm and high-touch and authentic service—will be the remarkable locations for these culinary explorations that redefine the way we experience food and wine.”

Singular Experiences

Every year, the House of Krug invites its global community of Krug Ambassador chefs to interpret a single ingredient. This year, flowers serve as the inspiration for this dynamic collection of Indagare Insider Journeys: Discover the Krug Single Ingredient. The flower in cuisine is often considered a subtle, beautiful garnish. Krug wanted to challenge that notion by letting the chefs explore their creativity and put the spotlight on flower as the main ingredient. “With an abundance of forms, flavors and fragrances, the flower is a beautiful symbol of diversity, embodying our spirit of community united by cultivating differences,” says Julie Cavil, Krug Cellar Master. From the delicate, sweet-as-honey borage to the jagged, earthy (if bitter) dandelion, the range of flavors is both diverse and delicious.

As an ideal complement, the experiences also provide opportunities for guests to try some of Krug’s rarest cuvées side by side and in large formats. “At Krug, we consider the personalities of around 400 wines, each of which embodies the individuality of a unique plot. In so doing, we pay homage to the diversity of Champagne—no two wines have the same expression,” explains Cavil. She worked with the host of the trips, Estelle Ngo, Head of Krug, to select the special cuvées guests will experience on each journey. “Each plot of vines, through its wine, is a single ingredient in Krug Champagne.”

“We are the house that has paid attention to what each of the single plots could bring to the final composition…” says Olivier Krug, Director of the House of Krug (and a sixth generation Krug descendant). “Our goal is to offer the most extraordinary experience of Champagne every year, through the most generous, aromatic expression in the glass every year. It is all about the individuality of the wines.” Joseph Krug established Krug in 1843, creating premium Champagnes from a reserve of wines each grown separately in a different plot, to craft the Grande Cuvée. The House of Krug now produces some of the most coveted and collected Champagnes in the world. Additionally, Krug also produces two unique and highly collectible wines from premium plots from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—the Krug Clos du Mesnil and Krug Clos d’Ambonnay.

“The opportunity to drink vintage Krug is rare—and to have multiple vintages along with multiple Krug Grande Cuvée Editions in large format is rarer still,” says Indagare’s Director of Membership Alex Clifford, who will co-host the Indagare Insider Journeys: Discover the Krug Single Ingredient at Twin Farms in November (Alex was also a sommelier for many years at Marea, the Michelin-starred New York City restaurant). “Krug has long been unparalleled in the art of blending, as well as a master at single terroir and vintage Champagne. The Krug Grand Cuvée is all depth, richness and precision and rivals the great white burgundies for complexity and nuance. On this trip, we will drink the 2003 and 2004 vintage: both were incredible years for Champagne but with vastly different weather conditions (2003 was the year of the notorious European heat wave and 2004 was cooler) so you can see what weather conditions do for different wines. You will taste the difference.”

Indagare Insider Journeys: Discover the Krug Single Ingredient will immerse you in the world of Krug and exquisite locally sourced farm-to-table cuisine (and terroir in its truest sense). These are extraordinary culinary journeys you won’t find anywhere else.

To learn more and book these trips, visit indagare.com/krug

To learn more about Krug Champagne, the right way to drink it, what sets Krug apart from other houses (and more), tune into Olivier Krug on the Passport to Everywhere podcast with Melissa Biggs Bradley.

Indagare Journeys are small-group trips built around personal passions, with carefully planned itineraries led by specialist hosts who are experts in their fields. Highly curated itineraries include the highest levels of quality and service, and blend exceptional destination highlights with special behind-the-scenes access and one-of-a-kind experiences you couldn’t plan on your own. They open doors to the tastemakers who are defining, shaping and protecting the places we visit.

About the House of Krug The House was established in Reims in 1843, by Joseph Krug, a visionary non-conformist with an uncompromising philosophy. Having understood that the true essence of champagne is pleasure itself, his dream was to craft the very best champagne he could offer, every single year, regardless of annual climate variations. Paying close attention to the vineyard’s character, respecting the individuality of each plot and its wine, as well as building an extensive library of reserve wines from many different years, allowed Joseph Krug to fulfill his dream. Six generations of the Krug family have perpetuated this dream, enriching the founder’s vision and savoir faire.

For more information, visit krug.com/krug-stories/krug-x-flower-usa.

This article was produced in collaboration with Krug Champagne.