I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I’m excited to be talking about wine and food pairings with my dear friend Elise Cordell, Champagne ambassador for GH Mumm and Champagne Perrier-Jouët tomorrow night. We’ll match three sparkling wines (two from Champagne and one from Napa) with a variety of cheeses (hence the “Whey Cool Pairings” in our event title). There’s no charge to join us, and Elise is offering a 15% discount on the wines (shipped anywhere in the U.S.) if you want to taste along with us.

The three wines we’ll be trying represent the styles of both houses:

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, NV
G.H. Mumm Grand Cordon, NV
Mumm Napa ‘Cuvée M’, NV

And then there are the cheeses. Actually, not right away. First, we are going to do a couple of exercises with a wedge of lemon, a slice of apple and a bit of salt. These experiments will let us explore some fundamentals of wine and food pairing, and even if you don’t have our sparkling wines on hand, you can do these exercises with us with any cool climate white wine or a medium bodied red wine (for whites, this Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or Chablis, an unoaked chardonnay from France.

After these experiments, we’ll move on and taste the Perrier-Jouët with several soft-ripened cheeses, especially Delice de Bourgognne, a rich triple-creme from France. You’ll see the important role acidity plays in making this match work, and we’ll also try it with a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano and one of the classic cheese matches for Champagne - Camembert. This is a soft-ripened cheese like the Delice but quite different in character.

Then, Mumm is the word, and we’ll try this slightly fuller-bodied Champagne with the Camembert again, and then with Gruyère and my favorite pairing in this flight, Langres. Langres is a cheese from the Champagne region and it is wonderful balance between pungency and richness. And see that dimple in the top of the small piece of cheese? Traditionally that was to hold a small amount of Champagne. I’m not going to use my Mumm for that - I’m keeping it in a glass, but it’s a fun bit of history.

Finally, we’ll pair Mumm Napa with some cheeses. Mumm Napa is, as the name implies, from California and as you might expect, grapes get riper here than in Champagne. Consequently, the wine, while it is made the same way as Champagne, is a bit richer, riper and, on our palate, it feels a little sweeter. This calls for some interesting pairings, so I’ll bring out a wonderful blue cheese from California’s Point Reyes Farm, a rich French cheese called Mimolette and a few other surprises.

All in all, we’ll have a great time and you.are welcome to join us, with or without cheese and with one wine or all three. For your free registration to the event on October 15 simply click here and click “October 15”

And, if you want the full experience, purchase your wines here and use the promo code ELISE15 for your 15% discount.

And here’s an insider tip - raid your kitchen and have the a lemon and some salt at hand to try a couple of easy experiments I’ll share! You’ll be surprised by how simple some of the concepts behind matching wine and food really are, and we’ll make some fun explorations. Santé!

Engaging the Senses

What a Friend We Have in Cheeses