Cheese and Champagne, voluptuousness and elegance

I would start like this, from a famous phrase by Madame Bollinger: “I drink Champagne when I am happy and when I am sad. Sometimes I drink it when I am alone. When I am in company I consider it indispensable. I sip it when I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it unless I am thirsty. “.The famous French bubbly for Madame Bollinger seems to be suitable for all drinking occasions. Chissà, dunque, cosa avrebbe pensato sullo Champagne Day, staged a few days ago, on October 25, and scheduled on the last Friday of October each year. Probably Madame Bollinger, with austere grace would have turned up her nose and brought her hand to her mouth in vexatious amazement, emphasizing once again that one does not need a special occasion to uncork a bottle.

But for Champagne Day 2024, the Bureau du Champagne has fielded an inviting proposal, a voluptuous tasting to explore the successful marriage of Champagne and cheese, Both children of fermentation and time. Italian cheeses though! Not French as one might imagine, for a France-Italy encounter that, unlike a football match, harmoniously leads to the discovery of unusual and joyous pairings.

Today, as Champagne Day has passed but the thirst has not yet, here are some tips for playing at Combining soft fatness and sharp acidity, intense aromas and bubbly depths, the richness of red grape varieties to tame the intensity of some cheeses, the verticality of Chardonnay to caress the delicate notes of cooler textures.

Here are the most successful and tantalizing matches:

Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature and Gorgonzola Dolce

The Sweet Gorgonzola, blue-veined soft cheese, has a creamy texture and a delicate, sweet and slightly buttery flavor, enriched by notes of noble rot in its blue-green veins. The contrast between the fresh verticality and austerity of the Blanc de Blancs in nature version and the unctuous softness of Gorgonzola cheese creates a perfect flavor balance.

Champagne Rosé Brut and Taleggio

The Taleggio cheese, a washed rind cheese, is soft and creamy in texture, with slightly pungent aromas, but a sweet, buttery and slightly acidic flavor. Champagne Rosé Brut contrasts with the fatty, melting character of Taleggio, harmonizing with the sweetness of the cheese and balancing the mouth with its acidity.

Champagne Rosé Brut and Caciocavallo Silano di Grotta.

Decisive and spicy, the Caciocavallo during cave aging develops hints of forest and dried fruit, with slight hints of spice. The Rosé adds freshness, citrus notes and small red fruits, creating a dynamic and subtle combination that enhances the complexity of the cheese and tames its spiciness.

Champagne Brut Millesimato and Bitto

An alpine cheese with a hard, grainy texture that varies in intensity depending on its maturity, the Bitto has flavors of milk, grass, and butter when young, while more mature develops notes of dried fruit, caramel, and a strong, lingering flavor. One Vintage Champagne, rich and varied, plays on the same track of evolution enhancing the depth and complexity of the cheese, balancing the mouth with its freshness and closing arm in arm on the edge of taste-olfactory persistence.

Champagne Demi-Sec and Burrata

To close a truly unusual pairing where the softness of the burrata with its intense “creamy” notes goes surprisingly well with the sweet notes of the Champagne Demi-Sec. Un abbinamento giocato sulla concordanza che chiude il viaggio come fosse un inaspettato dessert.

Pe those who want to keep playing, finished with cheese and Champagne, a new event delves into French culture on Italian soil. It is the Académie du Champagne scheduled to take place in Milan at the Principe di Savoia next Monday, Nov. 4, a day designed for industry professionals who want to explore the world of French bubbles through three educational paths, “Discovery,” “Aromas” and “Blindly,” to have another excellent opportunity to toast the world’s most famous “frothy nectar.”