The smartest thing about Old Edwards’ annual Champagne Dinner is that no one in the kitchen treats Champagne like fragile royalty. It is simply wine—wine with enough structure, energy, and balance to carry an entire meal rather than just open one. That is exactly why the evening works.
Returning to The Farm on Tuesday, July 14, the 11th Annual Champagne Dinner featuring Pol Roger has become a Highlands tradition people anticipate weeks in advance and revisit the next morning over coffee. The Champagne is excellent, but the menu is what keeps guests talking.
Executive Chef Chris Huerta approaches the evening with confidence. This is not a cautious progression of delicate courses designed only to flatter the wine. The kitchen pushes, and the Champagne responds in kind.
The evening begins with local chicken liver pâté paired with honey-roasted fig, toasted sourdough, baby arugula, spiced pecan crumble, and fig mostarda—a balance of richness, sweetness, and acidity. Next comes vanilla-butter poached Maine lobster tail with sweet onion cream and Osage Silver corn salad, brightened with fresh herbs to keep the dish from feeling too heavy.
Then comes the caviar course. Calvisius Beluga Cuvée caviar carbonara is wrapped around handmade capellini with GlenCove parsley, Piment d’Espelette, and Blanc de Blanc alongside. It is indulgent to the point of being playful—salty, creamy, and bold in a way that demands a Champagne capable of holding its ground.
Pol Roger meets that challenge easily. Still family-owned and based in Épernay, the house is known for full-bodied, structured Champagnes with richness balanced by vibrant acidity. Long favored by Winston Churchill, these wines bring both power and precision—qualities that shine across a menu this ambitious.
Huerta continues with roasted magret duck breast over parsnip purée, chanterelles, glazed apricot, and spiced duck jus before dessert arrives as a caramelized white chocolate dome.
Meanwhile, The Farm settles into a midsummer rhythm. Music drifts through the room, bottles continue to appear, and conversations stretch longer with each course.
After eleven years, that may be the real secret of this dinner. It never feels overly formal or self-conscious—just a well-executed evening with exceptional Champagne and a kitchen confident enough to meet it.
The dinner runs from 6:00 to 10:00 P.M. at The Farm at Old Edwards. Tickets are $258 and include dinner, Champagne pairings, shuttle service, and gratuity.
Reservations are available at OldEdwardsHospitality.com/ChefDinners.
Favorites Count: 0