Champagne and Cheese? Yes, please!

Ever heard the saying “what grows together goes together”? In this case, it’s true. And that means you get to pour champagne over baked cheese! Heres why:

Langres is a wash rind cheese made in the Champagne region of France and is in the same family as Epoisses. It’s a semi-soft cheese - a little fudgy - but at room temperature (just as most cheese) becomes softer, creamier and melts in the mouth without the super funk like many wash-rind cheeses have.

Originally it was made by pouring warm cow’s milk into terracotta molds called fromettes. It was then flipped onto lime tree leaves and left to dry and and age on oat straw. Today, this cheese is repeatedly washed with brine and annatto (which gives it that orange-y hue and a little spice) throughout its one month aging process. It isn’t turned throughout the washing and aging process which gives it that classic concave dip in the top, called the fontaine, which leads us to the point of why this cheese is so special and incredible.

Remember when we said it was made in the Champagne region in France AND it has a natural divot in the top? Yup, the French tradition is to bake the cheese and while it’s hot out of the oven, or fire, douse it with Champagne. The bubbles and gooey cheese meld together into the creamiest most magical, show-stopping table show ever. Serve with crackers or torn baguette and et voila!