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Champagne & Caviar anyone?

Björnstierne Antonsson

Björnstierne Antonsson

For a long time I have had my doubts about one of the gastronomic world’s most classic combinations – Champagne Brut and black caviar. Over the years, I have participated in some smaller and informal trials with a focus on its sovereignty. I have always felt that the ideal combination never made a home-run (note that I am only talking about the combination of caviar and champagne).

Well, the really dry champagnes never fell in, even though they showed their best sides every time. To me, this is not only a way of establishing the truth, but it is also a victim of incorrect correction of historical justice. Why? Today, almost no one can remember that at the time when this ‘classic’ arose, basically all champagne was produced in semi-sweet or sweet style.

A HISTORICAL FLASHBACK

The champagne was exclusively sweet and was served for dessert. We see the greatness of dry champagne for the first time when the first vintage champagnes see the light of day; vintages such as 1842, 1846 and 1857 are gastronomic history – they were so magnificent and intoxicating in themselves that they only needed a small dosage (When la cuvée is mixed you add a solution of wine, a little cane sugar and yeast – liqueur de tirage) . The amount of cane sugar that is added is 22 to 24 g / liter to give 5 to 6 atmospheres pressure in the bottle and increases the alcohol content by 1.3-1.5 volume percent. The wine is filled into bottles that are fitted with a crown cap, for prestige wines the bottles are often fitted with a liège et agrafe / cork with a metal bridge and allowed to lie sour lattes in the champagne houses’ cool cellars down in the chalk quarries.

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