Chandon Blanc de Noirs and Appetizers

I drink it all the time, but I've never actually "critiqued" it. I'm sipping on it right now, and I'd say it's dry, nutty, and slightly bitter. The aroma reminds me of my great aunts' perfumes at the holiday parties (maybe because we always drink champagne at family holiday parties): musky, dusty, and maybe some faint pear. But honestly, it's hard to pick out specific flavors sometimes when your palate is entertained by all those bubbles. 

Now I'm trying it with cheese: an Irish cheddar from Whole Foods. Not sure how (long) it was aged, but it also tastes nutty, and of course fatty and salty.  With the sparkling wine it pairs well. I'm not sure if it changed the wine really, but of course the fattiness of the cheese coating my palate cuts and "massages" any of the hard edges of the wine (if there were any). 

Now I'm going to try pepper jack cheese. This particular pepper jack is notably spicy. Wow, that actually pairs pretty well too! Instead of magnifying the spice (as some wines do, especially tart dry wines), this somehow rolls over my palate, and the spicy cheese actually calms the initial bitterness of the wine. 

Now I'm pairing it with classic pimiento-stuffed green olives which are, of course, salty, briny and bitter. This also works. My tongue is still tainted from the spicy pepper jack, but the olives make the wine a little less bitter and more nutty. 

Verdict: Chandon's Blanc de Noirs is really tasty. I like the level of dryness it is, and I like the price point ($13 at Costco).  Even though I only tried one wine with just cheese and olives, I think in general, sparkling wines pair really well with most/all appetizers. When I took the wine course at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, we paired 6 sauces with 8 wines (one of which was a classic champagne). All the sauces (garlic aioli, pesto, olive tapenade, mole, romesco, and thai peanut) paired with the champagne. But then again, maybe it's because my palate is really quite fond of sparkling wines.