by Daniel Rogov » Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:11 pm
JC, Hi.....
Among my own choices with brut rose Champagne as an aperitif: bite-sized blinis with creme fraiche and caviar (to be eaten with the fingers)m sweet Gorgonzola on croutons, gravad lax (gravlax if you prefer) and smoked sturgeon on toast points.
Away from rose Champagne to "regular" Champagne, good Cava or other good sparkling wines:
Any of the above plus vitello tonato, seafood filled dim sum, escargots Bourguignon, oysters (raw, dammit, raw, with nothing but a light sprinkling of lemon) and jumbo shrimps in the Greek style (deep fried, with their shells intact, served whole with nothing but a bit of lemon to sprinkle over.
With still wines, several of my rules of thumb are:
Especially full bodied and powerful whites or reds:
Blue cheeses such as French and Danish blue, Gorgonzola, Roquefort and Stilton; soft goats’ milk cheese
Medium to full bodied reds or whites:
Brie and Camembert, Gorgonzola, Parmesan
Medium bodied redsd or whites:
Munster, Edam, Port Salut, Emmenthal
Fruity and light reds or whites:
Cantal, cream cheeses
Light dry reds and whites:
Goats’ and sheeps’ milk cheeses, young Cheddar, cooked cheese dishes
Robust and full bodied white wines:
Gruyere and Cheddar
Rose and medium bodied whites:
Gouda, Port Salut, Herbed Cheeses
Sweet dessert wines:
Parmesan, sweet Gorgonzola, Cheddar,hard or soft goats’ milk cheeses
An idiosyncratic list perhaps but for me at least any of the above is to know that God is in Her heaven and all's well on earth.
Best
Rogov