Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Champagne

Belle Epoque was a French era between 1870-1914 (when they weren’t losing wars in Europe), a time of peace and prosperity and a time when Art Nouveau was in. Perrier-Jouet are all about the Art Nouveau and in 1902 they asked artist Emile Gallé to create a special bottle for their prized Champagne. Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Champagne

Using glass art techniques he painted white anemones on to four magnum sized bottles of PJ. Because of high production costs the idea was shelved and the magnums stashed away in the cellars.

Over 60 years later, in 1964, the dusty magnums were discovered and the decision made to produced a special vintaged PJ using Gallé’s design. This all tied in with the 70th birthday bash of jazz legend Duke Ellington at the L’Alcazar restaurant in Paris, where PJ first launched Belle Epoque in large magnum format!

Five hundred 1964 vintaged Belle Epoque magnums were made and sold exclusively to Maxim’s and Fauchon food store in Paris. Today, Belle Epoque is sipped by VIP’s, the rich and famous and those with deep pockets all around the world.

The latest 2016 release marks the release of PJ Belle Epoque’s new packaging – The Belle Epoque Cocoon. The Cocoon was designed to reflect a more eco-friendly approach to packaging. A very lightweight case weighing in at just 49 grams (that’s 93% less than previous gift packaging) and is made entirely from natural materials, paper pulp from sustainably managed, FSC-certified forests and 5% vine cuttings.

We just call it “PJ” for short but if you want to sound like a pro make sure it rolls off the tongue. It’s pehr-ree yay jhoo-et – with the “T” pronounced.