Champagne w/ a Candle?

Factual Questions
1

I came across a rather interesting note on a winelist this evening and I was hoping perhaps some cyberoenophile might be able to elucidate the oddity. If I recall correctly, a $450 bottle of 1990 Laurer Perrier bottle on the menu was noted as ‘includes candle’. I asked the sommelier and some of the waitstaff but everyone was just as confused as I. Is it really just a plain old candle that comes with this bottle? Why would they do such a thing? I’m quite certain that the chateau was responsible for the addition, rather than the establishment, as no other bottles on the list had any similar swag. So is there a special reason that a particular bottle of champagne would come with a candle? Is this phenomenon unique or somewhat standard? Is there something special about the candle? I assume that it is even a candle in the traditional sense of the word? What gives?!

Oooh! I just googled and found references to the bottle avec candle:

A second link (see below) mentions the full title of the bottle as "1990 LAURENT-PERRIER “GRAND SIECL LUMIERE DU MILLENAIRE”

“Lumiere du Millenaire” comes in a smart-looking presentation box and is packed with a gold leaf candle bearing the composite likeness of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and the sun itself; the universal symbol of warmth, life and hope"

http://www.hitimewine.net/apr%2004.pdf

I guess this second link probably proves that the candle is indeed mere swag. Is there anthing more to it than that?

2

It is called ‘product bundling’

  • like you buy a bottle of aftershave and get it bundled with an Italian silk tie that is purportedly worth more than the aftershave.

What it means is that your restauranteur is a dickhead, he bought some cheap end of line stock, if he had any sense he would lose the candles and rack the wine.

At $490 a pop, that trash should stay in his cellar for quite some time.

Aiee - China - that explains it - you guys have got the Russian syndrome of paying vast prices for tat wine.

3

At $490 a pop, you’d think they’d include a dozen panty roses too.