Champagne and Caviar

A pairing fit for royalty, although the image of Champagne and Caviar can come at a high price, it was mainly royalty who used to enjoy Caviar, back in the middle ages only the rich and powerful would delight in the delicious sea treat, it later became so overly collected that a huge shortage came into play, since then various regulations have come into play protecting the Sturgeon fish, they say that free Sturgeon produces the best Caviar, but it is rarer and even more expensive, so the majority produced is from farmed Sturgeon, even that can sell for upwards of £50 per tin.

If you’re a fan of the flavours from the sea then Caviar should be on your list of foods to try, it comes with a hefty price tag, so it may not be a delicacy you’ll enjoy every week, but for a birthday celebration or maybe even seeing it on a menu at a restaurant might be all you need to explore its flavour and if you can have a bottle of Champagne to pair with it, then you know you’re set for a magical evening!

Sturgeon is the fish that produces Caviar, Caviar is the eggs that a Sturgeon makes, Sturgeon is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. They are estimated to have dated back to the Triassic period some 245 to 208 million years ago, making them a living dinosaur.

The first known record of caviar dates back to the Greek scholar Aristotle. In the 4th Century B.C.

The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly of 2020

May I present his Royal Highness, Champagne Roger Constant Lemaire dressed in his Trianon 1966 attire made by Guillaume, Head Winemaker.

This glorious Champagne brought The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Trophy back to France for the third time after Champagne Duetz (2017) and Champagne Roger Brun (2019) a very well deserved winner.

Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire – Trianon 1966 Tasting Notes
Aroma – “Yellow fruits, citrus, lemon, pastry, soft lemon pastry dessert on the aroma.”
Flavour – “Citrus, both sweet and dry, with ripe peach, yellow fruits and pastry notes on the palate.”

The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly of 2020 – Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire – Trianon 1966

Petrossian Paris Caviar

Petrossian, a company that specialises in quality, with delivering Caviar, Salmon, Truffles and more to your door, all Petrossian goods are packed in ice and isothermic bags, when needed, preserving the freshness of your products through transit and delivery, perfect for keeping their Caviar and Salmon fresh.

Now just over 100 years ago, brothers Melkoum and Mouchegh Petrossian arrived in Paris and began a love affair between caviar and the City of Light, today, their boutique still thrives on Boulevard de la Tour-Maubourg with their caviar being enjoyed across the world, they have also set up restaurants and boutiques in New York City and Los Angeles. To this day the business is still run by the family, with Armen Petrossian, son of Mouchegh running the company, with help from his sons, Alexandre and Mikael.

Champagne and Caviar Pairing

Baika Royal Baeri Caviar – Mineral, iodized and soft.

Pairing Notes – “A dry citrus sea breeze initially. Even though the Champagne is very bold, the Caviar takes over the mid length and close in the palate showing salty, mushroom and pan fried fish flavours.”

Steluga Royal Stellatus Caviar – Very iodized and melt on the mouth.

Pairing Notes –“A salty dry citrus/peach burst initially which tones down to the silky Caviar flavours. Once again the Caviar is able to express itself against the bold Champagne flavours.”

I also decided to pair one of the Caviar’s with a bottle of Ratafia to see how it would pair, I know that Ratafia is on the sweeter side, so I didn’t make it the focus as I thought it would overpower the delicate Caviar flavours, the first one I paired it with was too sweet, but the following one worked well.

Legret & Fils 100% Chardonnay with Steluga Royal Caviar – “A salty dryness, but the length is a wonderful creamy partnership between the Ratafia and the Caviar.”