October 2019
On the 4th of October 2019, Charlie Duke climbed on board a zero-gravity parabolic flight in France. Maison Mumm was with the astronaut who participated in the Apollo 11 and Apollo 16 lunar missions. During the flight, they shared a unique moment of celebration with Mumm Grand Cordon Stellar, the first champagne developed to be savored in space. Innovation and daring have been integral to Maison Mumm since its foundation. It is only appropriate that in 2019, the House is there to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the most daring adventure in the history of mankind.
As “Capsule communicator” as we name the astronaut based in the mission control center in charge of radio contact with the flight crew — for the Apollo 11 Moon landing on 20th July 1969, Charlie Duke’s distinctive Southern drawl marked an extraordinary moment in history. When unforeseen complications forced the Lunar Module to alter its trajectory, it only had sixty seconds to land before it ran out of sufficient fuel for the return journey to Earth. Audiences around the world held their breath in suspense as Duke famously talked the crew through the perilous landing.
Now for the first time since 1972 he has once again experienced zero gravity during a Mumm flight initiated by SWISSAPOLLO, as a guest of SolarStratos and in partnership with Novespace, subsidiary of CNES. Charlie Duke was joined by French ESA astronaut Jean-François Clervoy, who played a central role on the research team that developed Mumm Grand Cordon Stellar, and Octave de Gaulle, founder of SPADE, a design agency specializing in creating objects for use in space, who created the prototype for the bottle.
Led by an avant-garde vision since its foundation in 1827, Maison Mumm is driven by a passion for innovation in the service of its exceptional wines. Exploring new territories like space is a big challenge but one that the Maison took on with passion. Mumm Grand Cordon Stellar is the fruit of an ambitious undertaking in the science of champagne innovation, which required three years of research and development before being launched in September 2018. Maison Mumm’s goal was to take champagne into space while maintaining its integrity—that is to say, respecting its aromas, the tasting ritual and the specifications of the AOC. A truly high-tech design, Mumm Grand Cordon Stellar has to contend with the many challenges of zero gravity. In these extreme conditions, the wine takes on new, surprising taste characteristics and unexpected sensations in the mouth. It exits the bottle as a foam that coats the palate and tongue with luscious roundness, releasing extremely concentrated aromas as it transforms into a liquid. Weightlessness releases the power of Pinot Noir, concentrating and intensifying Mumm Grand Cordon’s signature style.
When Charlie Duke returned to firm ground once again, Maison Mumm further celebrated this exceptional event with a very rare bottle of Cordon Rouge Vinothèque 1969, a remarkable vintage selected from the House’s Oenothèque. A rare year, this truly exceptional champagne, elevated by the attention to detail and savoir faire that distinguish Maison Mumm, is a fitting tribute to a mission that defied the odds.
ABOUT MAISON MUMM
Mumm is part of Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët, the prestigious cognac and champagne business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits . With its distinguished heritage dating back to 1827, Mumm is the leading international champagne House in France and third worldwide*. Mumm Grand Cordon pays tribute to the iconic red sash – indented in the glass as part of a whole series of innovations. The revolutionary bottle is the perfect embodiment of the spirit of the House associated with audacious challenges and ground-breaking endeavors.
* IWSR 2016
