Cohabitare, the Maison Perrier-Jouët collaboration with visionary design studio Formafantasma, was transformed into the Banquet of Nature, an exquisite dining experience curated by three-star Michelin Chef Pierre Gagnaire. On the evening of December 3rd, 2024, La Côte, the oceanfront dining destination at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, hosted this event during Miami Art Week, blending art, nature, and culinary excellence.

ART SUPPORTING NATURE

Founded in 1811 by Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose-Adélaïde Jouët, Maison Perrier-Jouët has long blended art, nature, and innovative champagne-making. In 2024, the House partnered with Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin and their design studio, Formafantasma, to create Cohabitare, an eco-friendly architectural project inspired by regenerative viticulture. 

The centerpiece, Ilot de Biodiversité (Biodiversity Island), is a 285 square metered space designed to support insects and plants, featuring terracotta modules that serve as habitats and attract species with vibrant colors. This project reflects a shared goal of fostering biodiversity and sustainability, monitored by a scientific committee to benefit both humans and nature.

CULINARY ART BY CHEF PIERRE GAGNAIRE

Pierre Gagnaire, a legendary French chef born in Apinac, is renowned for his innovative approach to cuisine, seamlessly blending modern techniques with traditional French roots. As the head chef and owner of his eponymous restaurant at 6 rue Balzac in Paris, Gagnaire earned his first Three MICHELIN Stars in 1993 and has since accumulated 14 Stars across his global establishments in cities like London, Tokyo, Dubai, and Shanghai. 

An icon of fusion cuisine, he began his career in St. Etienne and is celebrated for his ability to surprise and delight with dishes that are both refined and approachable. Known for treating food as an evolving art form, Gagnaire collaborates with Hervé This, a pioneer of molecular gastronomy, to push culinary boundaries and remain at the forefront of the international culinary scene.

The five-course menu, crafted by three-Michelin-starred Chef Pierre Gagnaire for the Banquet of Nature—a collaboration between Perrier-Jouët and Formafantasma—began with a pour of shimmering gold Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 2014. This champagne, with its delightful honey notes, was paired with a Sea Beam Carpaccio. The dish was bursting with umami flavors, featuring fresh fish seasoned with pure sea salt and local Marin herbs, alongside turmeric-spiced cauliflower, Thai grapefruit, crab meat, and hearts of palm drizzled with Beurre Nantais (a herb butter sauce).

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque champagnes, known for their iconic floral hand-painted bottles, are only produced in years deemed exceptional by Cellar Master Hervé Deschamps. This makes Belle Époque a truly rare and exquisite cuvée.

Midway through the dinner, an exquisite White Alba Truffle Pie was served with a table-side topping of sunchokes and caramelized hazelnuts, and accompanied by the crisp yet delicate Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2014.

A salmon-pink colored Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé 2013, with a burst of fruitiness, completed the last course. A perfect finale, a Pollen Soufflé was served with a Black sesame seed croquant cookie under a thin and transparent Blackcurrant sugar tuile topped with a roasted Victoria pineapple. An origami honeybee covered with bee pollen was presented table-side to sprinkle over this delectable layered dessert.