Champagne and Food Pairing with Veuve Clicquot Video Transcript
Written By: Anonymous on Mon, Dec 17th 2007
Brian Freedman: Welcome to The Classic Wines Minute, brought to you by ClassicWines.com, I am your host Brian Freedman.
Today we're in New York at the headquarters of Moët Hennessy USA to discuss how versatile champagne is when it comes to pairing with food.
They have been kind enough to set out this beautiful meal for us, and we will be joined by Charles Curtis, Moët Hennessy's Director of Wine and Spirits Education. Why don't you join us at the table?
Charles, thanks so much for joining us today.
Charles Curtis: My pleasure.
Brian Freedman: Now, right now we're pairing Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, which you can find for about $40, with a huge assortment of foods. We just tasted it with these sliced zucchini, pine nuts and parmesan. It was a great pairing for that. Why don't you take us through how the same champagne can pair so well with Prosciutto di Parma and goat cheese and little bit of fig?
Charles Curtis: Champagne is so versatile. The creaminess went really well with the zucchini, and the crisp element of it goes extremely well with the ham. We have got a citrus note on the nose, and the fresh acidity on the palate that really cuts through the rich, salty flavors of the ham.
Brian Freedman: A good pairing should allow you to both eat more and drink more without your palate getting exhausted.
Charles Curtis: Exactly.
Brian Freedman: Let's put it to the test. This is the fun part of the show. There's also the sweet component from the fig.
Charles Curtis: Champagne is like a breath of fresh air after the salty ham.
Brian Freedman: It cleanses the palate, it matches perfectly with the flavors of the food, but it gets you ready for the next bite.
Charles Curtis: Exactly, very appetizing.
Brian Freedman: Spectacular pairing. Alright, well, let's move on to the entrées.
So, Charles, we have just tasted the sea bass here. Let's see how the pairing works with the La Grande Dame 96. It's such a balanced champagne. All the Veuve Clicquot champagnes are incredible balanced, but this one just seems to have a depth to the flavor that's absolutely wonderful, especially with the charring against the sea bass.
Charles Curtis: It's balanced, yet it's powerful at the same time, and it's got a very silky mouth feel that goes really well with the grilled aspect of the sea bass, I think it's an amazing match.
Brian Freedman: Yeah, it's a beautiful compliment to the fish. Now, we also have here the Vintage 2000 Rosé, and we're pairing this with lamb chop. Most people tend not to think of champagne as the type of wine that they can pair with their entrée, but the truth is a super premium bottle like this really doesn't cost anymore than the types of wines most people would tend to gravitate towards for their holiday table, and the range of pairing possibilities is so much broader. So, why don't we taste the lamb chop and take us through how this is working... Smart man, going for the Bubbly first.
Charles Curtis: Exactly. I think a lot of people don't consider Rosé champagne with meat, but lamb and Rosé champagne to me is one of the best matches out there, because the Rosé champagne cuts through the heavy flavors of the lamb, gives a very refreshing feel in the mouth, and accompanies the main course, just as well as it did the appetizers, a beautiful pairing.
Brian Freedman: Oh, it's spectacular, it's so much more refreshing than the ordinary Burgundy maybe you would tend to gravitate towards. There's nothing wrong with that, but this one is really -- it's fresher, it picks up some of those nuances in the lamb, spectacular.
Charles Curtis: Everybody loves champagne, and this is a fantastic way to celebrate the holiday season.
Brian Freedman: With Bubbly.
So, Charles, we finished our entrées, we have moved onto our dessert table. Most people tend to think of Port, Sauterne is the perfect companion to dessert, but for me I prefer a good Demi-Sec champagne, I think it's a lot more refreshing, it makes for a better pairing partner. Can you tell us a little bit about what Demi-Sec actually means?
Charles Curtis: Sure. Demi-Sec in modern terms is a sweetest sort of champagne, it's much sweeter than Brut champagne, but it's not nearly as sweet as the Port or Sauterne that you just mentioned. It's got a crisp, fresh acidity to balance out the sweetness.
Brian Freedman: So, it's that perfect middle ground; too sweet a dessert wine and too sweet a dessert, everything gets sort of complicated and muddled in the mouth, so the champagne theoretically should keep it fresh.
Charles Curtis: Exactly. Shall we try with a fig napoleon?
Brian Freedman: I think that's a brilliant idea, why don't you try the napoleon, I will try the strawberry, which does not want to help me out on my spoon. It's sweet enough, but I wouldn't want something cloyingly sweet alongside that, I think it would just ruin the flavor.
Charles Curtis: The freshness pairs really well with the figs.
Brian Freedman: Yeah, and with the strawberry too. It's like the ultimate version of the strawberry dropped into the bottom of the champagne fluid. This makes a lot more sense to me, a perfect way to end the meal, perfect way to end our day with you. So, Charles, thank you so much for joining us here today, it's been a real pleasure.
Charles Curtis: Brian, thanks for having me.
Brian Freedman: Cheers to you. From all of us here at The Classic Wines Minute, remember, don't be afraid to pair champagne with everything; at your holiday table, at your regular lunch time table, with cornflakes first thing in the morning, champagne is, for my money, the most versatile wine there is. You can find all of these wines on ClassicWines.com. Until next time, cheers.
Charles Curtis: Cheers!
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Total Duration: 7 Minutes
