PBP Insights
Matter of Taste
By embracing maker-made crafts, Domaine Chandon is redefining the meaning of luxury
This past year, sparkling winemaker Domaine Chandon unveiled a thoroughly reimagined tasting experience at its Napa Valley estate. But interpreting modern elegance isn’t what it used to be. We spoke to Toronto-based creative director Jenn Cranston, who helped the LVMH-owned winery tap into an artisanal spirit,
one that is as welcoming as it is refined.
Ginger and marigold jellies in a serving vessel by Fefo Studio.
The Plan
“I was brought on five years ago by the Moët Hennessy creative director to help reimagine Chandon’s home, which was built in 1973 as a brutalist style structure. The intent was to integrate the tasting experience into the land, where the lines between indoors and outdoors are blurred. In the minds of Domaine Chandon, the decision to source small-batch products produced by artisans was a logical one. ‘As winemakers, we are crafts people, so let’s celebrate fellow craftspeople in our tasting experience.”
The Process
“Chandon has six locations around the world. We wanted its Napa home to speak to the California landscape. We settled on a distinct color palette–earthen tones, rosé and brut. The next step was approaching Powered by People to help us find makers who were suited for this project.”
The Makers
“We loved AndJacob and L’Impatience right from the beginning. They’re not polished in a traditional way, but they’re beautiful; they offer a sense of elevation for customers to enjoy. AndJacob’s frog vase mimics the landscape around it, and can be filled with wildflowers; its marble trays, in Chandon’s color palette, and water-jet cut in its brand shapes, can be used for charcuterie. L’Impatience’s nesting dishes have that California look and feel. All of the products created for Chandon can be purchased by visitors to the estate.”
