The Champagne of Fizz

The former will run you $45 and up while the latter can be had for as little as $12, although you can easily spend $30 to $40 on top end sparkling wine.

In my mind there are two key differences that separate the two broad categories of fizz: origin and flavour intensity. Champagne is made with grapes grown only inside a delimited area or appellation known as the Champagne region some two hours drive to the north and east of Paris.

More important, it's the finesse and flavour concentration of champagne that sets it apart from every other sparkling wine in the world. These attributes seemed to be tied to, or the result of, the chalky soils of champagne in essence adding more fuel to the notion of terroir as it relates to the origin of any wine.

This Holiday season I'm recommending you discover the structure, flavour, and general charm of a glass of champagne (make that a long, tapered flute). Keep in mind Champagne with its striking acidity is food friendly and if cheese seems like an unlikely pairing it's not.

According to local cheese mavens Alice and Alison Spurrell, owners of the widely popular cheese shop Les Amis du Fromage - 1752 West 2nd Avenue in Vancouver or at #518 Park Royal South (Behind the Keg restaurant) in West Vancouver, there is no better match with champagne. Today we look at champagne paired with a specific cheese courtesy of Les Amis du Fromage.

Over the past five years Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Premier Cru Réserve Particulière has carved out a niche in our market and brisk sales come with an added bonus - fresh stock. Try this elegant, lively bubble with its cherry, citrus, toasty, creamy quince flavours with aged Montasio cheese. Similar to Reggiano, this hard Italian cheese has "a granular texture with a slightly piquant finish that is perfect for champagne," say the Spurrells.

A personal favourite is the always smooth and elegant Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Reserve Brut. This is crisp, round and dry with nutty, pear, mineral, citrus, cooked apple skin flavours. Pair this with l'Edel de Cleron cheese from the Jura region of France. It comes with a piece of spruce wrapped around it and what the Spurrells describe as "a compelling marriage of woodland flavours."

The de Venoge Vin du Paradis Dry is a fun bubble. It gets a 20 gram dosage of sugar to round out its edges.  The entry is fresh with some sweetness and ripe apple, honey, citrus, toasted bread flavours. It's the perfect bubble for champagne newbies or pair it with Langres, a raw-milk cheese from Champagne whose orange rind is brushed with marc (the liquor which is made from the leftovers in Champagne production) during its affinage or refining. At Les Amis du Fromage they suggest you can pour some champagne into the well atop this cheese before serving.

Intense lemon, brioche, baked apple, citrus aromas mark the nose of Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne. Its cherry, Granny Smith, toasted, citrus, floral, biscuit flavours just go on and on. If there is any creamy Vacherin Mont d'Or left, it only comes to town during the Holiday season; this is the cheese to serve with Roederer Brut.

Champagne Duval-Leroy Brut is a new label to the market. The mousse is creamy with toasty, cherry, honey aromas and cherry, nutty, mineral, baked pear and honey flavours. Good intensity in a slightly sweeter, fatter brut style. Should have wide appeal. Try this with Parmigiano Reggiano Scelto, the aged specialty Reggiano, sold only at Les Amis du Fromage.

We conclude with a great looking and fun tasting, rose bubble:  Lanson Brut N/V Rose. I love its pale pink hue and the creamy, mineral, baked pear and cherry aromas. It is fresh, dry, crisp and round with more honey, mineral and pear flavours. It has finesse and length in a drier style with good acidity and balance. For this the Spurrells recommend a fully ripe Chaource that comes with the consistency of soft butter. It's made in the Champagne region; it's a natural partner for bubbly and rose Champagnes.

Fabulous Fizz

NICOLAS FEUILLATTE BRUT N/V PREMIER CRU RÉSERVE PARTICULIÈRE, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
Price $52.99
UPC 3282946006835
Score 91/100
Remarks A fresh blend of 40/20/40 pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier.

POL ROGER EXTRA CUVÉE DE RESERVE BRUT N/V (WHITE FOIL) CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
Price $55.15
UPC 089744142450
Score 89/100
Remarks Floral, toasty, nutty, baked apple and citrus aromas.
 
DE VENOGE VIN DU PARADIS DRY N/V, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
Price $52.99
UPC 3291690570011
Score 90/100
Remarks Elegant, balanced, sweeter style that will appeal to many new to champagne.

LOUIS ROEDERER BRUT PREMIER CHAMPAGNE, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
Price $64.95
UPC 3114080016053
Score 91/100
Remarks     Flavourful with good acidity and balance. Classy.

CHAMPAGNE DUVAL-LEROY BRUT N/V, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
Price $58.14
UPC 03259456000714
Score 88/100
Remarks Good intensity in a slightly sweeter, fatter brut style.

LANSON BRUT ROSE N/V, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
Price $59.99
UPC 692743004089
Score 90/100
Remarks Crisp and round with toasty, cherry, citrus, honey, mineral and pear flavours.