Class will be easy, wine and cheesy

So said all before they knew any better. Our teachers know we’re in Paris, surely they can’t expect us to actually work here. And yet, here we are: a book a night, gallivanting through Paris’s history at a breakneck speed.

A (well-deserved) change of pace this evening, when the school gave us a legitimate wine and cheese tasting. A local wine vendor, seeking our business no doubt, came and spoke about the regions of five wines (2 blanc, 3 rouge) and paired them with five cheeses. Most impressive was the first pairing: a sauvignon blanc from Touraine with a goat cheese from the same region (Sainte-Maure de Touraine). The wine was unbelievably crisp and had a “nose” of pears and white peaches, according to our sommelier. Before we sampled the cheese, our guide spoke about the importance of pairing wines with cheeses from the same area, but the experience itself was nothing short of magical. The two fit together like the pieces of a gustatory puzzle. My tongue danced for joy.

The best wine was the last, for sure, France’s famous Saint Emilion Grand Cru, 2003: a bold and woody red that was smoother than the first two. Sipping a slightly sour five euro wine from le Fran Prix now, I reminisce fondly about the miraculous Grand Cru.

My favorite white was a honey-scented Bourgogne Chardonnay, 2005. It didn’t pair as well with the goat cheese, but it was more substantial on its own. All of the cheese was fantastic: the orange-crusted Livarot was my personal favorite, and the memorable blue, Fourme d’Ambert was a close, close second. Apparently it has been eaten in Paris since it was part of the Roman Empire. Thanks Wikipedia!