The pop of a champagne cork carries its own kind of music —festive, fleeting, and full of promise. On Thursday, July 17, that distinctive sound will echo across The Farm at Old Edwards as the prestigious Champagne Pol Roger makes its debut at our annual July Fête.
This isn’t just any champagne house. Pol Roger carries the distinction of being Winston Churchill’s beloved champagne of choice—a devotion so deep that the wartime Prime Minister consumed an estimated 42,000 bottles in his lifetime. Their legendary friendship began over dinner at the British Embassy in Paris in 1944, when Churchill met Odette Pol-Roger; developing a bond so deep that Churchill named one of his racehorses “Pol Roger,” while the house honored their most famous patron by creating the prestigious Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill in 1984.
“Champagne imparts a feeling of exhilaration,” Churchill once declared. “The nerves are braced, the imagination is equally stirred, the wits become nimbler.”
That same spirit of exhilaration will flow through every flute as guests experience the robust, Pinot Noir-dominant style that captured a statesman’s heart.
But the evening’s magic extends far beyond the bubbles. Food and Beverage Director and Executive Chef Chris Huerta, whose culinary journey began in his grandmother’s kitchen in Aiken, South Carolina, will orchestrate a menu that showcases the extraordinary harmony between Champagne Pol Roger and his Southern grounded cooking.
Huerta’s path to The Farm reads like a love letter to the land itself. Since arriving at Old Edwards in 2007, Huerta has cultivated Madison’s Organic Garden from three humble raised beds into a sprawling 200-bed operation across two-and-a-half acres. Each dish he creates tells the story of this mountain terroir, where seasonal bounty meets contemporary Southern sophistication.
The evening’s pairings promise delicious discoveries that boldly flout convention – forget the expectation of still whites with fish and still reds with meat.
There’s something magical about the snap of champagne bubbles meeting the purity of Huerta’s farm-fresh ingredients that creates an extraordinary combination, elevating both the wine and the cuisine to heights neither could achieve alone.
As live music fills the evening air and champagne flows freely, guests will discover what Churchill knew instinctively – that great champagne transcends celebration.
Cost is $295 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reserve your seats today at oldedwardshospitality.com/events.
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