Match of the week

Endive, Stilton and walnut salad with blanc de blancs champagne

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on September 1 2014 at 10:00

Champagne two weeks running? I know - it is a bit indulgent but I just couldn’t ignore last night’s extraordinary dinner at the Savoy to celebrate the trophy winners and launch of the first Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships. Besides it is our 400th Match of the Week - equally something to celebrate.

I’ll be writing more about the champagnes, the food and the interaction between the two but the most unexpected match was a starter salad of endive and baby gem salad with Stilton, celery, salted walnuts and honey dressing which was paired with three blanc de blancs.

Admittedly the Stilton was mild and buttery and the dressing quite light but I was still surprised by how well the match worked, particularly with two Ruinart blanc de blancs - the non-vintage which won the award for Word Champion Non-vintage Blanc de Blancs and the 2002 vintage which was nominated World Champion Deluxe Blanc de Blancs.

Interestingly in the tasting that had preceded the pairing I had been more charmed by the 2002 Champagne de Castelnau Blanc de Blancs which was still extraordinarily fresh and fragrant for a 12 year old wine but which didn’t quite stand up to the salad as well as the Ruinarts did. They were more demanding to drink on their own but revealed all their persistence and complexity with food.

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