Yes, you read that title right; Champagne ON ICE! But you’ll have to scroll down a bit before I get to that…
There are certain times in your life that become engrained in your memory. One of these times was when I had the honor of attending En Primeur Week in Bordeaux. A blog that I wrote titled Portugal’s Political History Affects Its Culinary and Wine Culture won the honor of best food and wine pairing award. My prize was a trip to Bordeaux. Amongst all the incredible wine, we were introduced to canelé, a small French rum and vanilla pastry with a tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust. It was heaven!
I have never had the pleasure of seeing the Champagne region of France for myself, but I am a Champagne lover. During covid, I went through the Champagne MOOC program and am a proud Champagne Specialist. I love talking about Champagne (and all sparkling wines) and I drive my husband crazy with my compulsive need to correct people who call non-Champagne Sparkling, Champagne. But they need to understand that “Champagne is only Champagne if it comes from the Champagne region of France.”
When I received an email asking me if I would like to sample a bottle of Pommery Champagne that was paired with some deliciously freshly baked canelé, was there any doubt that I was going to say yes?
Interestingly, the Pommery Champagne was a new bottle for me. The Royal Blue Sky hones a tag that reads, ” Share this unique experience in a large glass, choosing the number of ice cubes to clink together. Royal Blue SKy brings a new kind of freedom, with the Pommery spirit, unconventional but true. On ice only. ” When I read that, it definitely peeked my curiosity.
Apparently, it has become a thing over the past few years for Champagne houses to make wine designed to be served over ice cubes or glaçons as they are called in the south of France. There is even a special name to ask for it; piscine (pool.) As my tagline says, “I’ll never tell you what to drink, but I’ll always share what’s in glass,” all that matters is that you drink what you like. It’s nice to know the days of being shamed for adding an ice cube to wine is over. If a major Champagne house such as Pommery is telling you to do it, it must be acceptable in society. So crack open those ice trays and enjoy a glass of Champagne.
Keeping in mind that ice dilutes the wine while it is chilling it, not every bottle of Champagne will benefit from the chill. Royal Blue Sky is a demi-sec (half-dry) wine meaning with 32-50 grams of residual sugar per liter it is on the sweeter side. The increased level of dosage makes this wine a bit sweet, thereby serving it on ice or directly out of the refrigerator. Over ice, this blend of 33% of Chardonnay, 33% of Pinot Noir and 33% of Pinot Meunier released aromatics of pear, peach and grapefruit.
As with all Champagne, the base wine is made by fermenting in vats. Then under the regulations of the traditional method, the wine is bottled containing yeast and sugar so that the second fermentation occurs in the bottle. The wine is then followed by additional cellaring. The final sweetness level is determined by the winemaker prior to the final corking. This addition of sugar is known as liqueur d’expedition (or dosage.)
It is ideal to pair with desserts such as canelé . A canelé is a small French pastry containing rum and vanilla. The custard center is soft and tender while the crust is dark, thick and caramelized. Simply put, heaven! And these from Pâtisserie Vanessa in NYC, brought me right back to Bordeaux with the first bite.
~Slàinte!
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