Stephanie Goto.
Photo: ERIK MADIGAN HECK
The Collectors: Stephanie Goto
Stephanie Goto. Photo: ERIK MADIGAN HECK
For architect Stephanie Goto, Champagne became a way of life almost 20 years ago. That’s when she met Richard Geoffroy, then chef de cave of Dom Pérignon, at a tasting event she hosted at the New York restaurant Morimoto for which she collaborated with Tadao Ando. “It was really the first time I saw the beauty of Champagne in dialogue with other identifiable elements, hand-selected by Richard, that started to evoke certain emotions.”
Since then, Goto has not only accrued a significant personal collection of vintages by many of the most legendary maisons, she has also partnered with them on unique installations and experiences, such as La Grande Dame’s tent at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in June and a multicourse ice cream–themed tasting dinner with Dom Pérignon at Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream in downtown Manhattan. “The experiences I create allow you to see the incredible beauty beyond just what you taste,” she explains.
Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2 paired with a nori ice cream cone topped with caviar. Photo: ERIK MADIGAN HECK
Collecting philosophy: “Champagne is a sum of the various dimensions of my personality: Dom Pérignon is truly the detail-oriented architect in me; Krug, the elegant, orchestral, more classical me; La Grande Dame captures the powerful yet precise feminine energy; and Ruinart, the seriously creative, playful me.”
La Grande Dame Polo Pavillion. Photo: Dana Meilijson
“Champagne is a sum of the various dimensions of my personality”
Stephanie Goto
La Grande Dame Polo Pavillion. Photo: Dana Meilijson
Treasure trove: “My collection is stored primarily resting in my cellar; I keep a selection at home and of course in my studio to enjoy at any moment. Next year is the 20th anniversary of the founding of my studio, and I have been collecting what I call my ‘birth year’ vintage, 2004, in all formats from all my favorite houses.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2023 Late Fall Issue under the headline “The Collectors.” Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: Stephanie Goto.
Photo: ERIK MADIGAN HECK
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