Champagne Pommery taps into Hong Kong on-trade for new cuvée
The Champagne house has put its focus on Hong Kong's dynamic fine dining scene to "create a Champagne Pommery community" and build its presence in the market. The post Champagne Pommery taps into Hong Kong on-trade for new cuvée appeared first on The Drinks Business.
The Champagne house has put its focus on Hong Kong's dynamic fine dining scene to "create a Champagne Pommery community" and build its presence in the market.
"Good things come in pairs". This ancient Chinese proverb is one practiced daily by fine wine and food aficionados the world over. Now, for the launch of its Apanage Brut 1874, Champagne Pommery has tapped into Hong Kong's latest restaurant opening to pair the new cuvée with a range of dishes. The launch of its new expression marks the 150th anniversary of Madame Louise Pommery’s first dry Champagne — a significant shift away from sweet wine’s dominance at the time.
On 28 April 2025, the maison hosted its initial activation in Hong Kong with a wine pairing dinner at the recently re-opened Donovan. Naturally, Apanage Brut 1874 was the evening’s highlight with dishes crafted by two chefs — Donovan Cooke and Scott Pickett.
The event at Donovan has encouraged Champagne Pommery to roll out further activations in partnership with its distributor Metabev as it grows its presence in Hong Kong. “We shared a dynamic plan with Metabev to increase our footprint in Hong Kong,” explained Ken Moroi, CEO and Asian export director for Vranken Pommery Japan. “The company is great at staying on top of trendy gastronomic hotspots and provided wonderful support for crafting cuvée selections for a special night at Donovan. I felt the guests’ real enthusiasm throughout the evening for the quality of our Champagnes.”
Hong Kong’s discerning wine connoisseurs have easy access to a wide range of fine dining establishments: ideal for showcasing Champagne Pommery’s offerings. The maison is hoping to capitalise on the region's on-trade going forward. “We are still at planning phase, but I hope we can host more pairing dinners this fall or next spring,” Moroi said, noting that Gaddi’s, Mora and Lala restaurants are under consideration as event venues.
“Each has a different concept and each event will have a different approach. What we all have in common is the same DNA of being audacious, delicious and engaged. I hope the collaborations will organically create a Champagne Pommery community. Hosting them is a way to show our dynamism in the Hong Kong market," he added.
Australian guest chef Pickett, who co-created the event's menu at Donavan, worked previously with Champagne Pommery on four-handers in Tokyo and to launch the 2005 Cuvée Louise Parcelle in Melbourne. To highlight the subtleties of Apanage Brut 1874, he partnered with Cooke to craft a special menu featuring delicate offerings from land and sea. It coincided with Cooke’s reopening of his eponymous restaurant in Causeway Bay.
Apanage Brut 1874 is made by Champagne Pommery’s Clément Pierlot and combines vintages from 2018, 2015 and 2012. The blended cuvée is matured for two years in the chalk pits of Butte Saint-Nicaise in Reims—home to the brand’s wine cellars since 1868.
To reinforce the celebratory cuvée’s fine effervescence and floral aromas, Apanage 1874 Brut was paired with Hokkaido urchin chawanmushi: Cooke’s signature dish of steamed egg featuring sea urchin, caviar and razor clams balanced with pickled cucumber. King salmon was matched with the gently pink hued Apanage Rosé; its red berry notes danced intriguingly upon the palate when tasted with the rich fish.
“We knew that the cuisine at Donovan was gastronomic but also based on solid French traditions,” said Moroi. “We worked on the gradual intensity of our Champagne pairings alongside the menu’s dishes with special attention to the pairing between Apanage Brut 1874 and the uni chawanmushi.”
"Good things come in pairs". This ancient Chinese proverb is one practiced daily by fine wine and food aficionados the world over. Now, for the launch of its Apanage Brut 1874, Champagne Pommery has tapped into Hong Kong's latest restaurant opening to pair the new cuvée with a range of dishes. The launch of its new expression marks the 150th anniversary of Madame Louise Pommery’s first dry Champagne — a significant shift away from sweet wine’s dominance at the time.
On 28 April 2025, the maison hosted its initial activation in Hong Kong with a wine pairing dinner at the recently re-opened Donovan. Naturally, Apanage Brut 1874 was the evening’s highlight with dishes crafted by two chefs — Donovan Cooke and Scott Pickett.
The event at Donovan has encouraged Champagne Pommery to roll out further activations in partnership with its distributor Metabev as it grows its presence in Hong Kong. “We shared a dynamic plan with Metabev to increase our footprint in Hong Kong,” explained Ken Moroi, CEO and Asian export director for Vranken Pommery Japan. “The company is great at staying on top of trendy gastronomic hotspots and provided wonderful support for crafting cuvée selections for a special night at Donovan. I felt the guests’ real enthusiasm throughout the evening for the quality of our Champagnes.”
Hong Kong’s discerning wine connoisseurs have easy access to a wide range of fine dining establishments: ideal for showcasing Champagne Pommery’s offerings. The maison is hoping to capitalise on the region's on-trade going forward. “We are still at planning phase, but I hope we can host more pairing dinners this fall or next spring,” Moroi said, noting that Gaddi’s, Mora and Lala restaurants are under consideration as event venues.
“Each has a different concept and each event will have a different approach. What we all have in common is the same DNA of being audacious, delicious and engaged. I hope the collaborations will organically create a Champagne Pommery community. Hosting them is a way to show our dynamism in the Hong Kong market," he added.
Australian guest chef Pickett, who co-created the event's menu at Donavan, worked previously with Champagne Pommery on four-handers in Tokyo and to launch the 2005 Cuvée Louise Parcelle in Melbourne. To highlight the subtleties of Apanage Brut 1874, he partnered with Cooke to craft a special menu featuring delicate offerings from land and sea. It coincided with Cooke’s reopening of his eponymous restaurant in Causeway Bay.
Apanage Brut 1874 is made by Champagne Pommery’s Clément Pierlot and combines vintages from 2018, 2015 and 2012. The blended cuvée is matured for two years in the chalk pits of Butte Saint-Nicaise in Reims—home to the brand’s wine cellars since 1868.
To reinforce the celebratory cuvée’s fine effervescence and floral aromas, Apanage 1874 Brut was paired with Hokkaido urchin chawanmushi: Cooke’s signature dish of steamed egg featuring sea urchin, caviar and razor clams balanced with pickled cucumber. King salmon was matched with the gently pink hued Apanage Rosé; its red berry notes danced intriguingly upon the palate when tasted with the rich fish.
“We knew that the cuisine at Donovan was gastronomic but also based on solid French traditions,” said Moroi. “We worked on the gradual intensity of our Champagne pairings alongside the menu’s dishes with special attention to the pairing between Apanage Brut 1874 and the uni chawanmushi.” 
