The Perfect Sea Breeze Dinner
22nd April 2021
If you live by the sea or just want to be reminded of the sea air and the whole atmosphere, then I’m going to put together a delicious dinner with a Trophy Winning Champagne in the Sea Breeze category.
Sea Breeze
When you taste this wine you will imagine yourself standing on the beach and tasting those tiny sea drops in the air.
Champagne Faniel et Fils – Appogia
The best in category, the trophy winner, may I present to you, Champagne Faniel et Fils – Appogia, this Champagne stood out to the judges not just because of its divine taste but also because of the correlation it had to the sea, the sea air, the beach and all that goes with it, it may even have brought forward memories of the enjoyable times the judges had spent by the seaside.
Champagne Faniel et Fils is one of those wineries set in a picture-perfect French environment, when I visited the winery and met Mathieu Faniel the owner and head winemaker, the day could not have been more perfect, the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, Mathieu was beyond kind and welcoming, his winery looked like a set from a film, it is filled with history and great Champagne. You can see for yourself what I’m talking about by checking out A Trip To Champagne Faniel & Fils by me or A visit to Champagne Faniel & Fils by Christopher Walkey
Mathieu is the third generation to work at the Champagne house, he joined in 2008 and has helped expand the name and reach of his Champagnes across the world, Champagne Faniel et Fils all begin after World War II when Mathieu’s grandfather André Faniel founded the company, back then it was just called Faniel, it was after André’s son Jacques Faniel and his wife Brigitte had their sons Romain and Mathieu that Jacques officially changed the name to Faniel et Fils.
Champagne Faniel et Fils – Appogia Tasting Notes
Aroma – “👃Yellow fruits, citrus, meats, ham, lightly toasted bread, sea air and stones on the aroma.”
Flavour – “👅Fizzy sweet citrus, yellow fruits, nuttiness, a smoothness through and through, with a saltiness on the tip of the tongue.”
This Champagne Won the Trophy in the Sea Breeze Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2020.
The Perfect Sea Breeze Dinner
For the Salmon, I’ve done it two different ways, one which is completely raw, which is my favourite way to enjoy Salmon and then the second piece has been fired in a frying pan with some onions until it looked golden. Both Dishes include Salmon, Mint, Onion & Broccoli.
The Raw Salmon Dish
Raw Salmon & Champagne Tasting Notes – “A mineral and salty flavour is shot through the raw salmon creating the illusion of being by the seaside, with hints of nuttiness, such as walnuts, it’s a tighter and drier combination.”
Raw Salmon Dish & Champagne Tasting Notes – “The onion comes in first to greet the Champagne with the mint following suite, a nuttiness is added to the salmon with the broccoli finishing the plateful experience.”
The Cooked Salmon Dish
Cooked Salmon & Champagne Tasting Notes – “The salmon is strong with its presence with hints of crispiness from how I cooked it, the Champagne aids in adding a nuttiness to this dish and thanks to the slight crispiness, roasted nuts in flavour.”
Cooked Salmon Dish & Champagne Tasting Notes – “Roasted onions, mint leaves and nut infused salmon, a total smoothness for a few moments with a mint finish, the Champagne adds an elegance to the dish, you get the slightest touch of toast and nuts to help the dish achieve new heights.”
Both the raw and cooked salmon worked with the Champagne Faniel et Fils Appogia, with the raw salmon getting more of a seaside salty expression and the cooked salmon gaining a nutty flavour, for the perfect sea breeze dinner I would recommend the raw salmon, but I won’t be forgetting about the nuttiness that was added to the cooked salmon. This was a nice tasting experience if you want to try the Champagne with some salmon or other types of fish you can buy a bottle of the 2020 Sea Breeze Winner at Champagne Faniel et Fils.
Oliver Walkey
WSET 2 Journalist focused on sharing Champagne and Sparkling Wine reviews and cocktails to the world.