For decades, the storied champagne house Krug has explored the fascinating intersection of sound and taste, pairing its meticulously crafted cuvées with musical compositions—most recently through an acclaimed collaboration with contemporary composer Max Richter. This autumn, that ongoing sonic experiment enters an entirely new realm, moving the exchange out of the traditional listening room and directly into a legendary professional recording space designed specifically for the creation of music.
From September 28 through September 30, Larrabee Studios in Los Angeles is opening its iconic Studio 6 to an exclusive, highly intimate group of guests for a groundbreaking interactive event titled "The Art of Blending Krug & Sound." During these three unique September evenings, attendees will experience a multi-sensory gathering where rare champagnes are not simply tasted and analyzed, but actively interpreted, discussed, and transformed in real time into original musical compositions written and recorded right on the spot.
Hosting these immersive evenings is Grammy-winning mixing engineer Manny Marroquin, the owner of Larrabee Studios, who will be joined by a talented roster of producers including Scott Tibbs, Nick Rosen, and Mike Bennett. Together, this creative team will guide a small audience through a carefully curated flight of exceptional expressions, including Les Créations de 2013, Krug 2013, and Krug Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition. As guests sip each glass, they are encouraged to articulate the memories, moods, textures, and sensory impressions brought to the surface by the champagne.
The producers listen intently to these shared reflections, translating the raw human feedback into notes, rhythms, and harmonies. These elements are then woven into an original piece of music composed live within the walls of a studio that has helped shape the sound of some of the most celebrated musicians and records of the past several decades. The underlying methodology cleverly mirrors Krug’s own celebrated winemaking philosophy. Just as a signature Krug assemblage draws upon a vast palette of individual reserve and vintage wines from many different plots to build a single, harmonious expression, this experience takes the diverse individual reactions of the room and blends them into one cohesive musical piece. Because the raw material is supplied entirely by the attendees, no two sessions can ever land on the same artistic result.
"Larrabee has always been a place where creativity comes to life through exchange," says Manny Marroquin, reflecting on the philosophy that drives his renowned studio. "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." This active contribution by the audience establishes a profound distinction between this immersive event and a conventional listening session or standard wine tasting.
To complement the auditory and oenological journey, Chef Oscar Torres of VERSE—Larrabee’s sophisticated neighboring restaurant—has crafted an exquisite multi-course menu for the evenings. The culinary offerings are thoughtfully paired with Krug Grande Cuvée 173ème Édition and Krug Rosé 29ème Édition, creating a seamless dialogue between the food on the plate, the champagne in the glass, and the music being written around them.
For Julie Cavil, Krug’s esteemed Chef de Caves, these September sessions represent a natural evolution of a fundamental question the champagne house has been investigating for years: how sound fundamentally alters and elevates human perception of taste.
"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 earlier collaborations by the house placed music beside the glass to be listened to passively, this ambitious partnership places the guest directly inside the creative score.
The three exclusive evening sessions run 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 intricate nature of the live recording process and the intimate layout of the recording studio, capacity for each evening is strictly limited. Tickets are priced at $474 per guest and are available for purchase through Tock at exploretock.com/verse-los-angeles.
Once the three-night live studio sessions conclude, the creative momentum will continue beyond the studio walls. VERSE and Mensano, Larrabee’s neighboring dining establishments, will carry the concept forward with a month-long Krug Grande Cuvée pairing menu curated by Chef Oscar Torres, thoughtfully built around the culinary and musical inspirations born inside Studio 6.
