The Music of the House of Krug
In the wine world, we are often talking about pairings. We pair wine with food, with events, and with great company. Though it may be harder to describe, sometimes we even pair wine with things that are more metaphysical, ethereal, and emotional. Have you ever paired wine with music?
Music & Wine Pairing with House of Krug Champagne
The House of Krug goes a step further when pairing their iconic bubbly with music, and in fact, each vintage of their Champagne is likened to a different musical instrument that is perfectly combined with others to complete a magnificent orchestra with each new Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée released. Meaning, the vibrant, precise style of this wine is not just produced year-after-year without great thought and attention, but with particular consideration of how each “player” will harmonize perfectly with others. Think of it in terms of each vintage year representing a core instrument, which may be strong enough on its own, depending on the conditions of that growing season, or perhaps it is better matched with the instruments of years past for a complete symphony of taste.
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Krug Echoes
The Krug House is dedicated to the scientific musical approach, with elements of emotion in the final product. There is truly a methodical connection between music and taste that has been perfected here, according to Krug. Each individual plot is considered to be a fine musician, contributing its own unique character and strengths to the final blend, which reveals itself in the extraordinary fresh intensity of the brand.
Over the years, the House has partnered with musicians to also bring in a unique pairing element once the Grande Cuvée symphony is assembled. Through their Krug Echoes program, classically trained musicians from around the world collaborate with the brand and create unique scores for each vintage and Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée. These professional musicians taste the Champagne, and then through feeling and their professional sense of music create a song that best represents the emotion evoked by a specific blend. It’s the deepest connection between sound and taste.
Krug lovers from around the world can enjoy the individual sounds of each bottle by logging into the Krug application on their smartphones and entering the Krug ID number, which is a six-digit number located on the back of the bottle. Once in the app, there are resources to tell you everything about that specific year or blend, as well as the musical pairings for that bottle. Sit back and enjoy the Champagne and the accompanying sensory experience, combining two of the world’s most enjoyable pleasures; the beautiful sounds of music and drinking Champagne.
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Visiting The House of Krug
When you visit the Krug Family House in Reims, the heart of Champagne, France, your tasting journey will also include music. In addition to the tasting room, which has 20 speakers, the full musical journey will take you to the Krug Yurt. This is a wooden structure in the garden of the Krug Family House that is specifically designed for the exceptional musical experiences of guests to the property. It is a special place where the Krug Echoes musical pairings are showcased, bestowing an otherworldly experience on those wine travelers who want a little something extra paired with their Champagne tasting experience.
Champagne and music? It’s a pairing and travel experience not to miss.
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About the House of Krug
Joseph Krug founded his house in Reims in 1843, after years spent learning blending at Jacquesson. He built it around a single conviction: that the finest Champagne should be crafted every year, regardless of how the growing season turned out. Rather than chase the weather, he chose to master it through the cellar.
To do this, Krug pays close attention to the character of each individual plot and builds an extensive library of reserve wines held back across many harvests. Those reserves are the raw material for Krug Grande Cuvée, a multi-vintage blend of well over a hundred wines drawn from ten or more different years and three grape varieties. A new edition is released each year, continuing the founder’s vision of the most generous expression of Champagne.
Six generations of the Krug family have guided the house, which has been part of LVMH since 1999 while keeping the family at the creative helm. Production stays small and the positioning firmly prestige. Every bottle carries a Krug iD, a code on the back label that reveals that specific bottle’s composition, disgorgement and story when entered on Krug’s website or app.
Why Krug Champagne and Music Belong Together
Krug describes its own craft in musical terms. The house likens its library of reserve wines to the instruments of an orchestra and the annual act of blending to composition: individual wines, each with its own voice, brought into harmony to create something none could express alone. It is a way of explaining that a Krug Champagne is assembled, not simply grown.
That thinking became a program. Through Krug x Music, the house invites composers and musicians to taste its Champagnes and then translate what they sense into original works, so that each edition or vintage is paired with music created specifically for it. Recent chapters include a collaboration with British composer Max Richter, who reinterpreted Krug’s 2008 Champagnes as new compositions, presented under the idea of moving from soloist to orchestra.
The premise is that tasting engages the senses much as listening does. A Champagne unfolds in stages on the palate, gaining depth and layers over time, the way a piece of music develops from a first note to a full arrangement. Pairing the two invites you to pay the same close attention to both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Krug Champagne?
Krug is a Champagne house within LVMH (Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton), which acquired it in January 1999. Despite that ownership, the Krug family remains closely involved in guiding the house, with six generations having overseen its style and philosophy since Joseph Krug founded it in 1843.
What is Krug Grande Cuvée?
Krug Grande Cuvée is the house's signature multi-vintage Champagne. Each edition blends well over a hundred wines from ten or more different years and three grape varieties, drawn from Krug's reserve library. A new edition is released annually, and the wine typically ages at least six years in the cellars before release.
Why is Krug so expensive?
Krug produces on a small scale and positions itself as a prestige house. Each Grande Cuvée edition draws on an extensive library of reserve wines held back over many harvests and blends more than a hundred wines, and the Champagne ages for years in the cellars before release. That reserve-driven, long-aged, low-volume approach carries a high cost.
What is a Krug iD?
A Krug iD is a six-digit code printed on the back label of every bottle of Krug. Introduced in 2011, it lets you look up that specific bottle's story on Krug's website or app, including the vintages and grape varieties in the blend, serving and pairing suggestions, and when it was disgorged.
Where is Krug made?
Krug is based in Reims, one of the principal cities of France's Champagne region. The house has occupied 5 Rue Coquebert in Reims since 1868, and its historic cellars there remain home to the reserve library and aging bottles central to how Krug Grande Cuvée is built.
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