• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
  • Contact us
  • Guest Content
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Elevenses
  • Business
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Property
  • JOBS
  • All
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Sport
    • Tech/Auto
    • Lifestyle
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Set For Life
      • Thunderball
      • EuroMillions
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Food and Drink

Champagne and Cheese – a beautiful alliance

By David de Winter – Sports Editor @davidjdewinter @TLE_Sport When you think of Champagne, you think of a glamorous drink to be enjoyed normally as an aperitif, or, if you’re really indulgent (and rich), with a meal. Cheese on the other hand is a traditionally a dessert or a post-dinner delight, commonly consumed with red wine […]

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2014-10-20 17:53
in Food and Drink, Wine
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

By David de Winter – Sports Editor @davidjdewinter @TLE_Sport

When you think of Champagne, you think of a glamorous drink to be enjoyed normally as an aperitif, or, if you’re really indulgent (and rich), with a meal. Cheese on the other hand is a traditionally a dessert or a post-dinner delight, commonly consumed with red wine or a digestif such as sherry or port. But Champagne and cheese together? Oh non! You can almost hear the French convulsing at the mere thought. But in the words of Churchill (the dog), I have to say, Oh yes! It might sounds like an unlikely marriage, but the chaps at Cattier Champagne and the British Cheese Board have combined to make a rather wonderful gastronomic experience.

After selflessly giving up our Thursday mornings to the noble pursuit of quaffing Champagne and scoffing lots of cheese like a real men of the people, my friend Sam and I pottered along to the St James’ Hotel in Victoria to see what all the fuss was about. We both had quiet reservations about what we were about to try. “Cheese with Champagne?” we mused. Now I like nothing more than knocking back a glass or two of bubbly and I am very partial to slab of cheese. Individually they are both one of the most sublime indulgences money can buy, but enjoyed together? I had my doubts.

Nevertheless, upon my arrival I was gently assured that this had even met with the approval of the most discerning gastronomes – the French. “We had an event in Paris earlier this year pairing Champagne with French cheeses and all the journalists present were pleasantly surprised” remarked Philippe Bienvenu, marketing director of Cattier. Well, I thought, if it’s good enough for the French, it’s almost certainly good enough for me. So I sat down to my tasting with renewed confidence.

Now we weren’t just chucking any old bog-standard cheeses down our gob. They had been specially sourced from all over the country; a Capricorn Goat’s Cheese from Somerset and strong hard cheese called Sussex Charmer were joined by more traditional favourites like three year-old Davidstow Cheddar and Blue Stilton. They had been expertly combined with Cattier’s extensive range of Champagnes.

We’ve all got one of those friends who, when tasting wine, likes to use long, obscure and often made-up words to describe the wine he/she is drinking (I’m often that guy). Well that pleasure can now be extended to cheese. Nigel White, Secretary of the British Cheese Board, used words such as ‘oozy, tangy, nutty, creamy’ in his description of the cheeses we were tasting and he was spot on. When trying each cheese and Champagne individually they were very pleasant in their own right, but combined together was a completely different experience. The experts at Cattier and the BCB had done a wonderful job because my palette was opened to a new release of flavours. The most striking thing I found was how well each Champagne complemented the relevant cheeses. Sam pertinently described one combination as “a party in my mouth.” I was expecting on or two of the cheese to overpower some of the wines but this was certainly not the case. As Nigel White neatly summed up, “Discovering the myriad of aromas and flavours of British Cheese partnered with Champagne is a real delight.” He was not wrong.

Cattier Champagne is not, as one might think, prohibitively expensive. All but two of the Champagnes we tried retail in Britain for between £30-40 per bottle. Nor are the cheeses too difficult to obtain. All are available in London from places such as John Lewis and Neal’s Yard market. There is even a bar dedicated to the noble pursuit called Champagne + Fromage which already has two branches in London. So off I tottered from the St James’ Hotel, stuffed full of cheese and slightly squiffy due to a liberal glass-topping-up policy. If you’re thinking about what to serve up at your next dinner party, or for Christmas, or even just out for a drink and a nibble, give Champagne and Cheese a try. Bon Appétit!

For more information, visit www.cattier.com and www.britishcheese.com
For stockists, visit www.cellartrends.co.uk/wines/cattier

RelatedPosts

Restaurant review: Bow Street Tavern, Covent Garden

All You Need to Know When Hiring a Private Chef

Restaurant review: The Cocochine, Mayfair

Round up of Food and Drink News and Events

Please login to join discussion

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

© The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Lottery Results
    • Lotto
    • Set For Life
    • Thunderball
    • EuroMillions
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy

← Which London Underground Station Has the Most CCTV Cameras? ← 21/10/14
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Lottery Results
    • Lotto
    • Set For Life
    • Thunderball
    • EuroMillions
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy

-->