Champagne Food Pairings: Champagne and Caviar

Champagne Food Pairings: Champagne and Caviar »

Andrew Barrow

3 Mar

It is not every day that you have the opportunity to sample the likes of Cristal, Dom Pérignon and Krug side-by-side with Caviar (and at £180 a ticket I am probably not going to either).
With sturgeon eggs from the Caspian off the endangered list – why, when stocks are still down 80% on ten years ago? – the decadent and rich can now indulge in paring Caviar with Champagne again. A report in The Times suggests that French Caviar from the Aquitaine makes for a passable alternative. Still hugely expensive though at £50 for a 30g tin. The French version is available in three varieties, humorlessly called No.1, No.2 and No.3.
For matching with prestige Champagne they conclude that

the Cristal falls apart, the Dom Pérignon has enough citrus fruits to work well with all three and the Krug would be fine at a push. And the best caviar? Number Two.”

So now we know.
What To Drink With What You Eat (Amazon.co.uk £16.07) have two quotes, the first from a Daniel Johannes in New York, the second, opposing view, from Jean-Luc Le Du of Le Dû’s Wines, again in New York.

I think Champagne and Caviar can be a great match. I just think you have to be careful what Champagne you serve. The Champagne should be really vibrant and crisp, and Blanc de Blancs is a great Champagne with it. Whereas if you’re going to serve a barrel-fermented or wood-aged Champagne with body, I think Caviar can really destroy the flavours. Also regarding the age of the Champagne: I think it should be young and crisp and fresh”

Caviar and Champagne? Forget about it! Champagne is too sweet with Caviar. I once did a huge tasting and 99 percent of the Champagnes I tried were unsatisfying because they clashed with the caviar. I prefer vodka: it is dry, without a lot of taste, so you can concentrate on the flavour of the caviar”

4 Comments »

Trig says:

04/03/2007 at 11:39 am

One day. Maybe.

Reply
Andrew says:

05/03/2007 at 3:02 pm

don’t forget my invite Trig!

Reply
Per says:

13/03/2007 at 8:39 pm

Bordeaux caviare is actually quite excellent (I’m not a big fan but I had to indulge in a tin for a photo shoot and it went down without a problem…). It’s just as expensive (and just as good, I am told) as the Russian or Iranian. And it’s made from farmed fish so perhaps more environmentally friendly!
Take a look here
http://www.bkwine.com/wine_pictures/bordeaux/bx_2005/caviar/caviar.htm
The fish are quite cute when small…

Reply
Caviar lover says:

03/03/2009 at 8:10 pm

Champagne and caviar can make a great combination, but you need to get the right caviar for the right champagne so that they complement each other.

Reply

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