After we did our Main 2002 Tasting of 6 Champagnes, we had four left over which we tasted the following weekend. We'd already done a flavor-comparison during that first tasting, so this one was planned out more as a meal, to show how various foods matched up with sparkling wine.

The four we tried this evening were:

• Gruet Blanc de Noir Brut
• Gruet Brut
• Hardy's Sparkling Shiraz
• Taittinger Non-vintage (several years old)

So an intriguing selection for this second dinner. None of the sparkling wines stood out as exceptional - the Blanc de Noir was dusky and innocuous, the bruth frsh and crisp. The sparkling shiraz on the sweet side, sort of the kool-aid of sparklers. The taittinger was definitely past its prime, but still showed the fruity taste of other Taittingers we've tried in the past.

We began with red caviar, truffle pate, shrimp cocktail, and a variety of cheeses - chevre, edam and gouda. All of the appetizers went extremely well with the sparkling wines.

The meal started with wild mushroom salad, which was a great match-up with the sparklers. The mushrooms used were oyster, shitake and cramoni. We then had scallops in cream sauce, with vanilla flavors. This was also a great pairing.

It appears from both tastings that mushrooms, seafood and light cheese do well to highlight the sparkling wines, and that the sparkling wines bring out the great flavors in those dishes.

Introduction
Planning and Executing the Champagne Tasting
The Appetizers and Desserts
The Results of the Tasting
Images of the Bottles
The Madeline Recipe

Tasting of the Gruets, Sparkling Shiraz and Taittinger

The Basics of Champagne
Methode Champenoise - How Champagne is Made