Jetting off on HK ePrix with Champagne Mumm

by Heidi Chan

Hong Kong will soon become known for car racing as FIA Formula E is kicking off its third season (2016-17) in the city in less than two weeks' time. Downtown at the Central Harbourfront lies the ePrix Formula race track, affording views of the Hong Kong skyline and landmarks for added cache. Like all other Formula E races, the Hong Kong leg uses temporary street circuit where the two-day programme of qualifying races will take place. Even for the less well versed in the sport, it's worth paying a visit to join for the fair atmosphere on the streets, with a line-up of associated race-themed parties, music concerts, even a LKF takeover in this carnival of actions. 

The announcement of Hong Kong race draw particularly excited responses from the event's partners and suppliers. G.H. Mumm, the official Champagne partner of the ePrix series of races globally, unveiled the "Mumm Grand Cordon" in Paris earlier this year in celebration of the concluded partnership with Formula E.  This revolutionary new champagne bottle will be officially released to Hong Kong during the course of the game, the first market to feature after the April Paris review. 

To purchase Mumm Grand Cordon, please contact us by emailing hello@cuvees.com or phone 2546 7628.

Excerpt from Global Press Pack - Mumm Grand Cordon & Formula E, G.H. Mumm :

BREAKING THE RULES 
Mumm Grand Cordon, awarded to the winner of the Paris Formula ePrix, is the most innovative design in the history of the pioneering Champagne House. Breaking with convention, the bottle has no front label – instead, the G.H. Mumm signature and eagle emblem are printed in gold directly on the glass. Another striking feature of the design is its shape, which necessitated a whole series of innovations to the traditional champagne production process. The bottle’s unusually long, slender neck accompanies the development of the aromas of Mumm’s legendary Cordon Rouge cuvée, which is remarkable for its intense expression of Pinot Noir, complemented by the subtlety of Chardonnay and the fruitiness of Pinot Meunier. 

SEEING RED 
Perhaps the most eye-catching feature of the Mumm Grand Cordon bottle is its reinterpretation of the famous Cordon Rouge red sash, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year. Indeed, this emblem of excellence dates back to 1876, when Mumm founder Georges Hermann Mumm had the idea of decorating selected champagnes with the red ribbon of the Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest civilian award. On Mumm Grand Cordon, the red sash is transformed into a genuine red ribbon, which – in a feat of technology – is actually indented in the glass. 

REINVENTING AN ICON 
The bottle of Mumm Grand Cordon was created by multi-award-winning designer Ross Lovegrove, with whom Maison Mumm previously collaborated on a limited-edition sabre. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, Ross Lovegrove rose to international prominence with designs for Sony and Apple, and his work is exhibited in major museums throughout the world. Of Mumm Grand Gordon, he says: “Mumm wanted to break the champagne codes. To me, design should always push barriers and challenge tradition, and as a Welsh guy I wanted to shake up an icon of French luxury.”