Dinner with Devaux Champagne at Pullman Hotel, Aerocity, New Delhi

Not a huge fan of Champagne, I was more interested in the “Farm To Table” dinner that was promised along with the Champagne tasting. As it turns out, by the end of the evening, I had a new appreciation for Champagne and the food wasn’t bad either! ( The burnt garlic soup was excellent and I’d have been happy to have a few helpings of just that. )

Devaux had brought along three of their Champagnes to introduce us to. The Cuvée D, the Ultra D and D Rosé. Jean Noel Girard, Marketing Director, Devaux Champagne told us a bit about the Champagne house and why it was considered to be a boutique, luxury brand. They produce a limited number of bottles and their Champagnes are aged WAY more than usual. So you might pop an expensive bubbly at a celebration and it might have been aged maybe two years at best ( a Champagne aged for two years is considered “vintage” by the way ), but if you really want to drink, taste and enjoy a fine Champagne, then you try one from Devaux, where their newest baby is aged for FIVE years.

At Bar-Sur-Seine, in the Côte des Bar region of Champagne, the House of Devaux produces a total of 700,000 bottles annually, which are available in three ranges, the D Collection, Classic Range & Speciality 100% Pinot Noir ( now THAT last one I’d really like to taste ).

I also learned from Jean that a dry Champagne is better enjoyed alongside a meal.

Devaux Champagnes also have some of the lowest sugar component in the Champagne industry – which is great for someone like me, who is happy give the not-eating-sugar calorie count to alcohol instead. Win-win.

Tristan Beau De Lomenie, General Manager Delegate, Pullman and Novotel New Delhi Aerocity and his wife Isabel were wonderful hosts! Would’ve been nice to spend more time with Isabel for sure – she sounded fun and spunky and her smile traveled all the way and then some to her eyes. But we were so busy tasting the wonderful Champagne and the food – AND all six of us on one table had so much catching up to do – that time flew.

My favourite ( as it turns out, if paired with the right food, I don’t mind Champagne at all! ) was the Ultra D. I’m not entirely sure why ( embarrassingly ) but it went down better than the other two. It was light and crisp. It made me like Champagne! I was so surprised at my liking a Champagne that I honestly did not pay attention to the notes.

The “Collection D” suite of Champagnes by Devaux were launched in India in 2015 by Rad Elan Distributors.

If you are at the Pullman Hotel, Aerocity ( where this lovely dinner was hosted – at the Pluck and Pling restaurants – don’t forget to snap up a selfie with the sparkly Christmas tree that’s up in the lobby. )

Links to the online presence of Devaux Champagne and Pullman Hotel Aerocity, at the end of this feature.

Don’t forget to check out the photos of our food below – including my amuse-bouche that looked like a teddy bear. And the dessert was fantastic too! A “Greek custard rasmalai parfait” – balanced with the tangy raspberry emulsion was just perfect. Who knew a rasmalai could be included in a fusion dessert and STILL taste amaze. ( The rasmalai part of it was quite dry though – I imagine leaving it even a little moist would not allow the parfait to stay. I do love me a nice drippy gooey rasmalai. )