As some of you know, I was a francophile before losing my heart to Italy lo those many years ago. I was a French major in college and lived in France during my junior year. My father is obsessed with France and when I was a child, France was considered the bastion of civility for its language, long meals, food, culture, literature, politics, 35 hour work week, educational system, healthcare, and art.

Yes, Italy kidnapped my soul and has held onto it all of these years but still, France holds an extra special place in my heart, my mind and of course, my palate. How could it not…I lived in Dijon, the heart of Burgundy so of course, my love for French wines runs deep.

Lately, I have had the opportunity to taste some wonderful wines from France, among them champagne from the Taittinger Champagne house.. Taittinger is one of the few Champagne houses to still be
family-owned.

One of my first trips to a wine region when I was 20 was to Reims. It was an unbelievable experience and helped start me off on a lifelong love of sparkling wine.

This wine is a perfect wine for any occasion. I wish I could drink a bottle everyday. In fact, I love to drink champagne throughout a meal from start to finish. The acidity and minerality in champagne makes it a perfect companion to many dishes.

I have had Taittinger many times of late and I was excited to attend a fun event recently at the Museum of Arts & Design where Taittinger was being served as an integral part of a new art exhibit.

The exhibit, which will be on for another four months, was curated by Stephen Burks, often said to be America’s foremost industrial designer. His group exhibition,
“Are You A Hybrid?” presents the works of over 30 artists, photographers & designers tracing the influence of the developing world from the mid-century to the present in an effort to present a more inclusive pluralistic vision of design.

Among these works of art is that beautiful bottle in the picture created by Amadou Sow and called the “Cosmic Pearls” bottle. Taittinger, infact, has an “Artist Collection” in which it pairs its best vintage years with bottles designed by famous artists. Sow’s bottle is for the Brut Millesime 2002 and he is the first African artist to join the collection.

The 2002 is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, in equal amounts. The wine is widely available in the United States, according to wine-searcher.com.