{"id":6274,"date":"2026-05-28T03:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T03:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/visit-champagne-for-the-wine-and-the-cheese\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T03:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T03:01:11","slug":"visit-champagne-for-the-wine-and-the-cheese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/visit-champagne-for-the-wine-and-the-cheese\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit Champagne for the Wine AND the Cheese"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Visit Champagne for the sparkling wine and cheese pairings. Photo credit Sue Winston<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gourmands everywhere know that the French region of Champagne is synonymous with its iconic sparkling wine,<\/a> but few know that it\u2019s also worth visiting for its lesser-known cheese culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bright acidity and bubbles of Champagne help to reset the palate\u201d when enjoying different cheeses, says Emily Monaco, a Paris-based cheese tour guide and writer<\/a>. \u201cThese wines typically pair just as beautifully with mild-mannered fresh cheeses as they do the bloomy-rinded and washed-rind cheeses native to the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Paris-based cheese tour guide Emily Monaco<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Because Champagne and the region\u2019s cheeses pair so naturally together, we asked experts to share some favorite combinations.<\/p>\n

First, a note on locating cheese in the region: Look to Champagne hubs like Reims<\/a> and \u00c9pernay<\/a> for standout fromageries. La Cave aux Fromages<\/a> in Reims offers a broad selection of cheese from across France, with a focus on regional selections. Fromagerie du Domaine de Vincine<\/a> in \u00c9pernay features a curated selection of local cheeses alongside an excellent selection of grower Champagnes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are a few of our experts\u2019 go-to pairing recommendations for exploring the Champagne region.<\/p>\n

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Pairing #1: Chaource with Alfred Gratien<\/h2>\n
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Chaource cheese with Alfred Gratien Champagne<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chaource<\/a><\/h3>\n

This soft-ripened cow\u2019s-milk cheese has a bloomy rind and a creamy, tangy flavor. \u201cChaource has the mushroomy rind and stone cellar notes common to brie and camembert,\u201d says Monaco. \u201cChaource is rich, and can easily deceive people into believing it\u2019s a double- or triple-cream cheese, but its intensely fudgy interior requires no added cream to take on its coveted texture.\u201d It is saltier and more flavorful than Brillat-Savarin<\/a>, Monaco explains, but is a relative unknown on the cheese cart outside of France, where it has earned AOP status.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/a>2018 Alfred Gratien Clos Le Village<\/a><\/h3>\n

A vintage cuv\u00e9e such as Alfred Gratien\u2019s oak-aged Clos Le Village is lively and dynamic. With notes of almond, brioche, apricot, and plum, it sets off the cheese\u2019s delicate fruit notes and richness.<\/p>\n

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Pairing #2: Langres with Laurent-Perrier<\/h2>\n
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Langres cheese with Laurent-Perrier Ros\u00e9 Champagne<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Langres<\/a><\/p>\n

This washed-rind cheese has a distinctive, alarming-at-first-glance sunken top known as a \u201cfontaine.\u201d It has a barnyardy pungency with a silky interior. In Champagne, chefs like Christophe Moret at Champagne\u2019s Michelin-star restaurant Le Parc<\/a> will occasionally whip it into an ephemeral mousse, transforming its appearance.<\/p>\n

NV Laurent-Perrier Cuv\u00e9e Ros\u00e9 <\/a>delivers precision, suppleness, and a rounded sensation. The texture and fresh red berry notes balance and can keep up with the Langres funk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bonus Pairing Tip<\/strong>: For an especially decadent preparation, try pouring Champagne directly over the cheese\u2019s sunken top. Warren Johnson, partner and cheesemonger at Saint Urban\u2019s<\/a>, a tiny wine and cheese bar in Charleston, S.C., loves to impress guests with Champagne-soaked Langres.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ve got friends popping over, make sure you bring the cheese to room temperature an hour or two before they arrive. When ready, open the cheese and insert the back of a wooden spoon into the top of the cheese to make a one-inch hole,\u201d Johnson says. \u201cPour two to three tablespoons of Champagne into the cheese, and let it soak for a few minutes. Then pour your friends a glass and serve the cheese with a spoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Pairing #3: Brie de Meaux or Brie de Melun with Pierre Paillard<\/h2>\n
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Brie de Melun cheese with Pierre Paillard\u2019s Les Mottelettes Champagne. Photo credit Jennifer Greco<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brie de Meaux <\/a>or Brie de Melun\u00a0<\/a><\/h3>\n

Brie de Meaux, which is an AOC-protected cheese, has been in production since the Middle Ages, and has been known as the King of Cheeses since it was declared the finest cheese in Europe by the Congress of Vienna, and has been notably favored by members of royal courts through the ages. Brie de Melun is even older, and more farmhouse in style. The AOC-protected cheese is dense, sometimes crumbly, with a salty, earthy funk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Of the two, Brie de Meaux is more crowd-friendly. Supple, buttery, with notes of hazelnuts, this rind-ripened cheese develops fruity, softly savory flavors when aged, but never becomes bitter or aggressive. Brie de Melun can develop bitter flavors, and is decidedly firmer and more rustic than its buttery sibling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2019 Pierre Paillard Les Mottelettes Blanc de Blancs Bouzy Grand Cru Extra Brut<\/a><\/h3>\n

Vincent Philippe, winner of the 2023 World\u2019s Best Cheesemonger competition, is particularly fond of Brie de Meaux. \u201cIt pairs beautifully with a round, generous Champagne that has undergone malolactic fermentation,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Philippe recommends Pierre Paillard\u2019s Les Mottelettes, with its creamy profile and notes of toasted bread and vanilla. He notes that the richness of Brie de Meaux or Brie de Melun plays well with this flavorful, textured Champagne.<\/p>\n

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Read more:<\/h2>\n

Cheese Shops We Love: Tasting House<\/a>
<\/span>Pairing Cheese and Sparkling Wine<\/a>
<\/span>Visit to a Brie Museum<\/a>
<\/span>Brie 101<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Visit Champagne for the sparkling wine and cheese pairings. Photo credit Sue Winston Gourmands everywhere know that the French region of Champagne is synonymous with its iconic sparkling wine, but few know that it\u2019s also worth visiting for its lesser-known cheese culture. \u201cThe bright acidity and bubbles of Champagne help to reset the palate\u201d when … Okumaya devam et “Visit Champagne for the Wine AND the Cheese”<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[395],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-milk-and-diary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1271"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6274\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}