Perrier-Jouët branches out with flute tree

Champagne house Perrier-Jouët has collaborated with Dutch designer Tord Boontje on a “flute tree” aimed at high-end UK restaurants and bars, and prestige retail accounts.

Dutch designer Tord Boontje with his Enchanting Tree design, commissioned by Perrier-Jouët

Known for its patronage of the arts, the Champagne house has commissioned Boontje to produce an initial run of 100 trees, with a potential second run in the pipeline if they prove popular.

The delicate design was unveiled last week at the Saatchi Gallery in Sloane Square, along with a life-sized tree sculpture by Boontje entitled: The Enchanting Tree.

The ethereal work took on a performance art element when waiters filled flutes gripped to the windy metallic braches sprayed gold, with Belle Epoque 2004.

“I visited the Perrier-Jouët vineyards in Epernay and got my inspiration for the design from there, moved by the way the vines need all the elements to thrive: earth, air, fire in the form of sun, and water,” Boontje told the drinks business.

Boontje took inspiration for the design from Art Nouveau artist Emile Gallé

“The design took me three months to complete. I wanted the piece to have a sense of movement, and incorporated Emile Gallé’s anemone flowers both as a hat tip to the Belle Epoque bottle and as a nod to one of my favourite artists,” he added.

Boontje also gleefully revealed to db that the base of the tree is made from the same resilient plastic as Lego – acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, known as ABS.

The Enchanting Tree includes an ice bucket and six frosted flutes, which hang from its gold branches, featuring Gallé’s famous anemone flower design.

“Tord works on the cusp of design, combining technology with artisanal techniques.

“He’s a perfect fit for Perrier-Jouët, a house with a passion for producing sensorial experiences that marry design with emotion,” said Vicky Wood, head of marketing for Champagnes at Pernod Ricard UK.