We went from Carcassonne to the Bay Area and we are now back in France to Toast 2011 in Style.
No headaches, no digestion problems, Peter Wasserman of Le Serbet was kind enough to pair 5 Champagnes with 5 Recipes we published in December 2010.
Opening act, is Cheese Fondue from Stonehill Tavern :
"The richness of this dish calls for the clean and refreshing tonalities of a Blanc de Blanc for the heart of the Côte des Blancs. Jose Dhont offers Brut NV a touch of yeast, toasted brioche, raw almonds should be the perfect match."
Change of scenery with Basque-Style Tuna Belly Fillets from The Book of Tapas (Phaidon)
"Here we are introducing heat with the use of the pimento, this calls for a Champagne that offers good fruit on the mid palate. Bernard Girardin Cuvée BG from the Côteaux Sud D'Epernay offers just that, the pinot meunier in the blend displays a generous stone fruit sensuality on the mid palate this will play gorgeously to the light heat of the pimento the flavors of the dish will be enhanced and the fruit on the champagne will shine!"
Peter pauses for a minute for Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan by Elena Amsterdam from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook (Celestial Arts, 2009).
"Tomato based dishes are always a challenge because the acidity usually clashes with dryness. However the marvelous diversity of Terroir in Champagne offer a superb answer. Camille Saves Carte Blanche from the Montagne de Reims. This area which has clay over the chalk in the geology is the homeland to the best Pinot Noir produced in the region. The Pinot here shows power and richness unparrelleled in the sparkling world and Camille Saves come from one of the best Terroirs for it and this will not only accompany the tomato based sauce superbly well but enhance the whole experience with the dish."
Next up, Mussels “Peppetedda” by Julia Della Croce from Italian Home Cooking (Kyle Books).
"Mussels and Paprika … one would immediately say this is a dish for a white grape based champagne, however we have a long history of gorgeous parings with red wine in spain… I would opt therefore for a 100% Pinot noir based Champagne from the Côte des Bars, the most southern sub-region in Champagne. Thierry Massin produces a glorious example of Blanc de Noirs (Literally meaning white wine from black grapes) this champagne is mid weight gorgeously clean and very elegant. The dosage is around 8 grams per liter and thus creates the perfect balance that will play very well into the hand of the paprika…"
Something decadent to conclude, Chocolate Fondue in Himalayan Salt Bowl by Mark Bitterman from Salted (Ten Speed Press)
"Chocolate calls for Rosé! you need fruit here something that tastes like strawberries and raspberries… The perfect wine is the Rosé de Saignée from Servaux et Fils in the Vallée de la Marne. A Rosé de Saignée is obtained by macerating the skins of red grapes in the vat where the alcoholic fermentation is about to happen. This fixes the pigments that are in the skins. The key is not to let it go too long or else the wine will be too colored and probably a bit too concentrated. (They can be Pinot Meunier or Pinot Noir or both) Servaux makes a marvelous one which exhibits suave tones of red berries in alliance with a crisp freshness characteristic of the Vallée de la Marne."
Will there be a 4th installment in this 'food and wine pairings' series?
Let me think about it, the year is young.