Spring in Guangzhou is more changeable than the girls of the 28th century.
The day before was sunny, and after a troubling sweltering heat, it rained a little rain the next day. Although it is a bit inconvenient to travel, I am more looking forward to this event - the encounter between champagne and afternoon tea will always provide a more refreshing feeling for such a spring afternoon.
"China Hotel | Spring Rain Champagne Afternoon Tea"
Because it was temporarily raining, the event should also be named more springy: "Spring Rain Champagne Afternoon Tea". I can't count how many champagne events Sylvia Liu has held in the past two years. Every time she participates in the champagne tasting she organizes, she always encounters many surprises.
First, the Sylvia Liu wine seminar and the Sylvia Liu champagne series are always known for their large number of wines - after a seminar to understand the appellation, more than a dozen wines will always encounter one that touches your heart. Second, if you have a certain understanding of the appellation described by Ms. Sylvia, it is also very interesting to look at the doorway from the combination of wines she has selected.
In 2020, Ms. Sylvia tasted 369 bottles of champagne
Take this champagne afternoon tea, the Nicolas Feuillatte, Castelnau and other brands on the wine list may make you feel that such a configuration is not "common"? All I can say is that it's too much to look at the wine list.
We often pursue niche, distinctive wines and brands, and at some point in time we may have forgotten the joy we first reaped from these common brands. The fun mix of wines in the event also made me find myself overlooking the common brands, and there are still many interesting wines that have not yet been tried.
If you've already taken an interest in Champagne, a wine list like this can give you a deeper understanding of Champagne's fun and interesting story. There are not only common big brands, but also such as Ayala, Delamotte, Thiènot and other wineries that are slightly less famous in China but have a high cost performance, and what is more interesting is that there are many fine smallholder champagnes in the wine list, and Champagne Edouard Duval, which has just entered China this year.
Having tasted different styles and types of champagne, and have a deeper understanding of the different brewing concepts adhered to by different wineries, there are too many interesting collisions of ideas in the diverse Champagne world.
It is both a casual afternoon tea and a collision of ideas about champagne
Of course, it must be mentioned that the theme of this event: champagne and afternoon tea. The location is in the outdoor garden of the China Hotel in Guangzhou, although it rains lightly, but sitting on the porch drinking champagne, tasting a variety of pastries, chatting or quietly watching the spring rain outside to feel the tranquility, lazily and quietly spending a spring afternoon is really comfortable.
Rhododendrons in the rain are in full bloom in spring
China Hotel's newly produced afternoon tea pastries are also very distinctive, full of national tide pastry boxes, elaborate pastries are divided into salty and sweet two types, on the basis of Western-style afternoon tea pastries, integrated into a lot of Chinese local ingredient elements, taste experience is also very rich.
Sweet pastries are naturally the protagonists of an afternoon tea, and the salty pastries that reflect Chinese taste buds are particularly interesting to pair with champagne. This champagne afternoon tea in the gentle spring rain made me feel that the whole person can greet the arrival of the hot summer in Guangzhou in a more refreshing way.
12 champagnes to open a refreshing spring day
Champagne afternoon tea
Refreshing encounters on a spring day
This champagne afternoon tea is really quite a lot, and there are many delicious pastries in the afternoon tea. Due to the limitation of space, I can only regret to pick out what I think is a very good collocation here. Interested students can also try the other champagne pairings in the above wine list!
1. Dérream Natural Dry Champagne with Italian-style avocado focayi, cherry tomato
Italian Avocado Focaccia, Cherry Tomato
Paired with Champagne Delamotte Brut NV
Delamotte Champagne has always been a favorite brand of mine, and in addition to the high-end brand aura brought by salon, a sister brand of the same group, Delamotte's style is also very pleasing. For me, Delamotte's style is a good interpretation of the "delicate, elegant feel" of Champagne.
It's not the kind of champagne that gives you a surging taste right away, and its acidity is only surprised to be so powerful the moment it reverberates on the tip of your tongue and when you swallow it. The aroma is also the kind of delicate floral and fruity aroma, gentle and not aggressive, which is a very poetic and bookish Champagne style.
Collocation: There are many pastry styles for this afternoon tea, which is convenient for each champagne to "match" the right refreshments. Unwilling to use overly heavy pastries to snatch the delicacy of this champagne, paired with avocado and cherry tomato-based Focacha bread, the fresh and refreshing combination is more suitable for such a spring afternoon.
Italian-style avocado focayi, top right
2. Aiyara Champagne with smoked salmon rolls, blackfish roe, baguette crisps
Champagne Ayala Majeur Brut NV
Paired with Smoked Salmon Roll, Caviar, Baguette
Ayala Champagne is also an excellent brand hidden under the aura of Champagne Bollinger. Although the Ayara Champagne and the Fortyinger Champagne are also located in the village of Aÿ in the heart of the Reims Mountains, even the location of the winery is just one street away, the stylistic orientations of the two are very different.
Compared to the mellowness, completeness and strength of The Castleringer, Ayala Champagne tends to be crisp, fresh and bright, and it was the first to try the extremely dry style as early as the mid-19th century. The catering side is also a major advantage of Aiyara Champagne, which is specially selected by Michelin-starred Chef Gordon Ramsay at Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK.
Collocation: For the combination of Ayara's champagne, I personally still tend to be salty. The combination of smoked salmon, blackfish roe and baguette crisps is relatively heavy, and I prefer to mix the fatty and salty flavor of salmon with the crispness of Aiyara champagne.
Smoked salmon rolls are also a good choice to pair with Duval Leroy champagne
3. Taettingzhe 2014 Natural Dry Champagne with Mini Croissant, Corned Beef, Assorted Vegetables
Champagne Taittinger Vintage Brut 2014
Paired with Mini Croissant, Salted Beef, Assorted Lettuce
Tai Ting Zhe Champagne is a big brand champagne (Grand Marque) inside, giving people a special "boutique" existence. The Tintrea Champagne is very special to me, it is one of the few Chardonnay-dominated wineries in Reims.
This 2014 vintage champagne is a 5:5 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which in general highlights the crisp elegance of Chardonnay, while Pinot Noir offers the complex and full-bodied taste of the wine. Compared with the highlights of the Champagne region such as 2002 and 2008, the 2014 vintage is relatively less discussed, but this champagne has begun to show the characteristics of a good vintage.
Collocation: The aroma of the bread baking is a reason to stop every time you pass by the bakery. The aroma of toast in this champagne comes from a long aging time, and it is also particularly fun to pair it with special French sandwiches such as croissants and corned beef.
Mini croissant, corned beef, assorted vegetables
4. Kashilong semi-dry champagne with homemade air-dried beef shank slices, chamomosa, gold essence, matcha toast
Champagne Castelnau Demi-Sec NV
Paired with Homemade Air-dry Beef Slice, Mango Salsa, Kumquat, Matcha Toast
Also located in the heart of Reims, Champagne Cashiron is a co-operative champagnery with 900 hectares of vineyards producing champagnes to satisfy your discerning taste buds. Sylvia picked this semi-dry champagne from her house, which was particularly fun.
Demi-sec literally means "semi-dry", but this is not "a little sweeter than dry" as everyone understands it, which is 3 grades higher than the amount of sugar added by the common Champagne Brut (natural dry type). In the pursuit of more and more dry style today, semi-dry champagne is becoming more and more rare.
Matching: This semi-dried champagne from Kashilong is not the kind of sweet taste, which is supported by abundant acidity, and the sweetness is closer to the natural texture of the fruit. There is also a particularly fun pastry in the afternoon tea, which is cut open with kumquat and filled with other fruits, especially with the aroma of Lingnan flavor, which is particularly interesting to accompany this semi-dried champagne of Kashi dragon.
Homemade air-dried beef shank slices, chamomosa, gold essence, matcha toast
5. Nicole's Collection of Pink Champagne (Cherry Blossom Limited Edition) with Cherry Blossom Mousse Cake
Champagne Nicolas Feuillate Exclusive Rosé Reserve
"lst Bloom of Spring" Brut NV
Paired with Sakura Mousse Cake
Champagne Nicole is also a cooperative winery, and it is one of the largest cooperatives in the Champagne region. At the same time, this is also a very high degree of marketization of the brand, so sometimes when you study Champagne in depth, you often ignore the wine of these big brands.
In fact, large-scale wineries have stronger financial strength to make better wines. It is also often possible to find interesting wines in the product lines of these big brands. This Nicole Collection of Rosé Champagne (Cherry Blossom Limited Edition) is mainly scaled by Pinot Noir and Monière, and the senses are full of aromas of summer red fruits, and the rich and thick texture is particularly suitable for desserts such as mousse cakes.
Collocation: There are many different types of mousse cakes in the afternoon tea cakes made by China Hotels, but from the perspective of appearance, this cherry blossom mousse cake was selected to match, in addition to the combination of taste experience, for an afternoon tea, the beautiful visual experience is also very important.
Cherry blossom mousse cake
6. Edward Honey Garden Rosé Champagne with Cheese Osmanthus Jelly/Lime Protein Tart
Champagne Edouard Duval Saignée d'Eulalie Extra Brut NV
Paired with Osmanthus Panna Cotta/Lime Meringue Tart
Edward Honey Garden Champagne is a new champagne brand that has only entered China this year, and previously launched an interview with the owner Edouard Duval on our public account, interested students can turn back to this interview to understand the story of this new champagnery. (The birth of a new Champagne house: the family, the appellation and the heritage of Cluny's history)
The winery is located in the Bal Hills, a region that many Champagne lovers know very little about. The Bar Hills are the same Pinot Noir-dominated appellation, but from the champagne in the Honey Garden, you can clearly feel the very different qualities from the northern Reims Mountains. The warmer climate in the south is more pronounced in this champagne.
Collocation: Edward Honey Garden Champagne is very distinctive, round and rich in taste with honey aromas. You can choose to pair it with a warm and refreshing lime protein tart, or you can choose cheese osmanthus jelly, which is a relatively fresh and refreshing taste combination. Enjoy champagne and afternoon tea and spend this afternoon at the turn of spring and summer.
| Liang Tongzheng
Venue | Afternoon Tea: China Hotel
Photography | L.S Commercial Photography | Paul Chen