Champagne, Triple Creme Brie and Friends!

Hello Fellow Travelers!

As we close this decade, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to remember some of my New Year’s Eves past…One came to mind that I wanted to share with you.

Twenty years ago, we were putting the finishing touches on our home (and the menu) for a New Year’s Eve like no other! Not only was it the end of the century, but it was the end of the Millennium. If you were watching the news on Dec 31st, you could not help being swept up in the panic that was known as Y2K. We were warned that computer systems around the world would not be able to compute the date of 01/01/00. 

So how did we prepare for this possible pandemic?...Well, with some of the best foods, cheese, and champagne that money could buy, of course! Lastly, the evening would not have been complete without my dearest friends and family. It was such a special night that I still have the bottle and the commemorative cork holder (complete with the cork with all of our signatures on it).

Since Champagne is synonymous with celebrations, let’s take a few minutes to dive into our obsession with this drink of royalty…

Champagne is a sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wines are Champagne. Although the term “Champagne” is sometimes used generically, the name right is exclusive to these Sparking wines produced in the Champagne region of France, and specifically to those appellations as designated by the European Union.

Champagne has been produced in this region since 1515, but the 17th century saw an explosion of Champagne Houses, after master craftsmen like Dom Pérignon (a Benedictine Monk who lived from 1639 – 1715) discovered many attributes in the production that are still used today. 

Photo courtesy of wikimedia

What to pair with Dom Pérignon Champagne?....Well, if you read my post from July 8th, you would know why I served bloomy rind cheeses that night…Triple Crème Bloomy Rind cheeses love being paired with Champagne! 

My current Triple Crème favorites are President Triple Creme Brie (a 4-time gold medal winner at the American Cheese Society Judging & Competition) which is domestically produced in Belmont, Wisconsin and Brillat-Savarin, a French Triple Crème produced since the 1890’s, originally named “Excelsior”, but renamed in the 1930’s by Henri Androuet in honor of the French epicurean and gastronomer, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. Both of these cheeses are produced with pasteurized Cow’s milk and added cream which gives them a 72% FDM.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once said: “Les optimistes et les gourmans vivent plus longtemps”, (which translates to “Optimists and foodies live longer”). I think this quote is perfectly expressed in the photo below of my cheesemonger friend Jaclyn, who celebrated in style once arriving in Paris. 

May we all find joys and ways to celebrate with gratitude for all this amazing life.

I plan to keep living this life to the fullest, to keep celebrating with my dear family and friends, and to keep enjoying the amazing cheeses/foods/wines that the world has to offer.

I would like to take a moment and thank my dear ones for that 1999 New Year’s Eve who signed that cork – Mark, Dave, Mary, Carol, Michelle, Terry, and of course, Sheila - I will never forget. I love you all.

Until 2020…

Trevor