Part of the annual Cayman Cookout, a three-day food and wine festival hosted by chef Eric Ripert, this blind “Royals of Champagne” tasting focused on the tête de cuvée, the best wines these Champagne houses make.

Sommelier Ray Isle, executive wine editor at Food & Wine magazine and a James Beard Award nominee, led my 10 a.m. session. Isle feels that most people don’t realize how complex Champagne can be, and how great it can be at the dinner table. “Champagne is underrated as a food wine. People tend to think of it purely as an aperitif or party wine,” says Isle. “In fact, it pairs extremely well with all sorts of food— and there’s such a broad range of styles: with sashimi, for instance, you might want a crisp blanc de blancs or zero-dosage bottling; with meat you could turn to a rich rosé Champagne.”

THINGS TO DO: IN GRAND CAYMAN

CHAMPAGNE TASTING NOTES

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1999
Impressions: Yeasty, red apple, earthy, soft, not acidic
Factoids: The company founded in 1811, and released a dry Champagne in 1854. The bottle art is based on a bottle from 1902 that was found in an old cupboard. These Champagnes tend to be broader and softer, and they make a nice rosé.

Dom Pérignon 2000
Impressions: Not very bubbly, pear, higher acidity, citrus, floral, long finish
Factoids: Until the cage was invented by Pérignon to keep the corks in place, Champagne was known as the “wine of the devil,” because bottles would explode in the cellars, often causing a chain reaction, ruining half the wine. Vintners wore iron masks to protect their heads from flying corks.

Salon Blanc de Blancs le Mesnil-Sur-Oger 1997
Impressions: Fierce acidity, powerful, complex and fresh underneath
Factoids: This company started in 1905, the Champagne originally made just for friends, who then insisted the winemaker start selling it. Only 30 vintages since 1921. Made with 100% Chardonnay grapes.

Krug Grande Cuvée
Impressions: Sweet apple, rich, high percentage of pinot noir, less earthy or yeasty
Quote of the Day: “My palate tends toward richer-style Champagnes,” said Isle. “And in that realm, I think Krug is inarguably great—like a $200 teddy bear.”

Veuve Clicquot la Grande Dame 1998
Impressions: Apricot, apple, yeasty, earthiness, crisp, round and deep
Factoids: Mysteriously known as the “yellow label,” despite the fact that it is clearly orange. The widow Clicquot took over the business in 1805 when her husband died unexpectedly, and thanks to her, we have clear Champagne. A pinot-noir driven house, it releases a vintage every couple of years.

Armand de Brignac “Ace of Spaces” Brut Gold
Impressions: Dense, tense, earthy with floral hits
Factoid: “This one appeared in a Jay-Z video—always a good way of determining a good Champagne,” Isle said with a laugh.

FYI Dryness chart

• Extra Brut, Brut Sauvage, Ultra Brut, Brut Integral, Brut Zero—super dry
• Brut—dry
• Extra Dry, Extra Sec—bordering on sweet
• Sec—kind of sweet
• Demi-Sec—definitely sweet
• Doux—“pretty darned sweet”

The post I have Champagne tastes appeared first on TravelRight.Today.

Grand Cayman is therefore the prime spot for luxury beach resorts and café society, but there is plenty of room for the rest of us who crave maybe a mix of upmarket and down, so you can save and splurge without the major cashectomy—including the calm and peaceful other two islands: Cayman Brac is a deep-sea fishing launch point and Little Cayman is known for its unspoiled wildlife habitats.

Make camp. The famous Seven Mile Beach is home to the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, named after the island sunset. The Instagram-worthy open-air design, sumptuous rooms, gorgeous views and ample pools keep it on all the Top 10 lists. It also happens to be at the forefront of the island’s dining scene in a town well-noted for its amazing food.

Play in the sand. The famous Seven Mile Beach where all the resorts are isn’t the only game in town. Governor’s Beach is great for a family snorkel, East End Beach is a bit of a local secret, sunrise at tiny Spotts Beach is sublime for a quiet moment, and Point of Sand is a secluded paradise.

Bring a hollow leg. The annual Cayman Cookout is an international culinary event hosted by chef Eric Ripert and anchored to the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. It brings together incredible chefs, wine and spirit experts and culinary influencers for a few days of exclusive and interactive cooking demos and tastings, with massive dinners and fun local tours.

F&B: CHAMPAGNE TASTING NOTES

Savour more flavour. This is the island of the Scotch Bonnet chili pepper! One of the hottest there is. There are many wonderful hot sauces and stews here. But if your tastes are more mild there is nothing more delicate than the wahoo white fish, wonderful as a crudo or rubbed with lime and pepper, and grilled. The local conch is a sweet gastropod, a true delicacy, eaten raw or cooked. And when they are in season, the Cayman green mangoes are beyond extraordinary.

Snorkel a ship. The USS Kittiwake was a submarine rescue ship launched in 1945, decommissioned in 1994, bought by the Cayman Islands in 2008 and scuttled off Seven Mile Beach in 2011. Visiting snorkellers get an eyeful thanks to crystal clear waters and a 35-foot depth at her shallowest, deeper than she originally sat thanks to Tropical Storm Nate in 2017. But divers can reach her lowest depth of 85 feet and venture inside: This was the first ship I ever swam through as a diver, gliding over counters in the mess hall and waving at myself in the bathroom mirrors. Still talking about it.

Go West. West Bay is home to two checklist tourist attractions: The Cayman Motor Museum is a privately owned, 10,000-square-foot showroom filled with exotic and classic cars and motorcycles. And the Cayman Turtle Centre is an education hour or two learning about sea turtle conservation, and the centre’s the release program and online tracking initiatives.

Spot the celebrity. Caymans keep mum about the celebrities but not me. Taylor Swift, Richard Branson, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cameron Dias, John Travolta, Dwayne Johnson, Al Pacino, Tiger Woods, Oprah, you get the picture. Apparently Powerhouse Gym is the place to work out. Bring your autograph book if they even exist anymore.

VISITCAYMANISLANDS.COM

The post Cayman Islands appeared first on TravelRight.Today.