For decades, the venerable Champagne house Krug has explored the intricate, sensory relationship between sound and taste. From its ongoing artistic dialogues with visionary composer Max Richter to immersive listening rooms around the globe, the champagne producer has consistently looked beyond traditional tasting notes to find the musical frequencies hidden within its legendary cuvées. Now, the iconic house is taking that sensory exchange further than ever before, moving the conversation directly into a space purpose-built for the creation of sound.
From September 28 to 30, legendary Larrabee Studios in Los Angeles is opening its iconic Studio 6 to an intimate gathering of guests for a unique, multi-sensory experience titled "The Art of Blending Krug & Sound." Over three exclusive evenings, a select group of attendees will participate in a live, interactive experiment where exceptional Champagne is tasted, discussed, and immediately translated into an original piece of music composed on the spot.
Hosting each evening is Grammy-winning mixing engineer Manny Marroquin, the owner of Larrabee Studios, alongside a talented collective of producers including Scott Tibbs, Nick Rosen, and Mike Bennett. Guests embark on a guided tasting journey featuring some of the house’s most celebrated creations, including Les Créations de 2013, Krug 2013, and the Krug Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition.
As participants sip each expression, they are encouraged to articulate their impressions, memories, and emotional reactions to the wine. The producers listen closely, drawing inspiration from these spontaneous human descriptions to build an original musical composition in real-time. Inside a studio whose acoustically treated walls have shaped decades of iconic records by some of the music industry’s most acclaimed artists, the resulting performance is born from the room itself.
This collaborative method mirrors the foundational winemaking philosophy of the house of Krug. Crafting a signature Krug assemblage requires drawing upon countless individual reserve and vintage wines from diverse plots to construct a single, harmonious expression. During these three special nights at Larrabee, that exact methodology is inverted and applied to sound: many individual human reactions, memories, and tasting notes converge to become a single, unified piece of music. Because the creative input comes directly from the guests in attendance rather than a pre-recorded track, no two sessions can ever yield the same result.
"Larrabee has always been a place where creativity comes to life through exchange," says Manny Marroquin, reflecting on the genesis of the collaboration. "Partnering with Krug gave us the opportunity to invite guests into that process, where every conversation, every shared moment, and every glass of Champagne becomes part of the music we’re creating together. No two evenings will ever be the same."
By relying on the unfiltered, spontaneous feedback of the room, guests supply the raw material that sets these sessions apart from a traditional listening party or standard wine dinner.
To anchor the evening’s sensory exploration in gastronomy, Chef Oscar Torres of VERSE—Larrabee’s acclaimed neighboring restaurant—prepares a sophisticated multi-course menu specifically designed to complement the champagne. The dishes are paired with pours of Krug Grande Cuvée 173ème Édition and Krug Rosé 29ème Édition, creating a seamless bridge between the culinary arts, high-end winemaking, and live acoustic performance.
For Julie Cavil, Krug’s esteemed Chef de Caves, these September evenings serve as an exciting evolution of a question the champagne house has been investigating for years: how does sound fundamentally alter the way we perceive flavor?
"At Krug, pleasure and generosity are at the heart of everything we do. Music has this extraordinary ability to translate sensations and emotions into another language," Cavil notes. "This encounter with Larrabee Studios invites each guest to bring their own interpretation, creating a singular dialogue between taste and sound that cannot be replicated."
While previous collaborations by the house placed music alongside the glass as a background element or companion piece, this latest initiative pulls the guest directly inside the score, turning the drinker into an active co-creator of the artistic work.
The three intimate sessions take place on Monday, September 28; Tuesday, September 29; and Wednesday, September 30, beginning at 7:00 PM inside Larrabee’s Studio 6, located at 4212 Lankershim Boulevard in Los Angeles. Due to the specialized nature of the recording studio environment and the desire for an intimate atmosphere, attendance for each evening is strictly limited. Tickets are priced at $474 per guest and are available through ExploreTock.
Once the studio doors close on the final evening, the culinary journey will continue for the wider public. VERSE and Mensano, Larrabee’s neighboring dining establishments, will carry the collaborative concept forward with a month-long Krug Grande Cuvée pairing menu curated by Chef Torres, drawing inspiration directly from the flavors, moods, and music born inside Studio 6.
