Champagne Velvet Fondue

A fun little four-pack of Rubicon Estates Sofia Blanc de Blancs inspired Lenny to create this velvety fondue indulgence. The base is Taleggio, one of her favorite Italian cheeses. Taleggio is available at varying stages of ripeness, and we recommend a younger, firmer one for this recipe. It will be easiest to remove the rind and cut up the Taleggio while it is very cold.

Recipe courtesy of Fondue by Lenny Rice and Brigid Callinan; photography by Leo Gong

Dairy

Italian

Appetizer

Romantic

Ingredients

20 ounces Taleggio, rind discarded and cubed		1 cup blanc de blancs (sparkling wine)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

directions

Total:

Try Kitchen View! Take your computer to the kitchen and view this recipe full-screen, with step-by-step directions.

Enter Kitchen View

1
Toss the cheese with the flour in a bowl and set aside. In a fondue pot, bring the wine to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to low and add the cheese mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until melted after each addition. Serve immediately.
2
SERVE WITH: toasted baguette cubes; grapes; apple chunks; pear chunks; fresh figs, quartered; spears of Belgian endive; roasted onion quarters; chopped toasted walnuts.
3
BEVERAGE SUGGESTIONS: off-dry Gewurztraminer or Riesling; prosecco; blanc de blancs (sparkling wine).

notes

CHEESE NOTES: From Italy's Lombardy region, Taleggio is a rich, semi-soft cheese with a thin rind of orange mold. Though it has a pungent aroma, its flavor is sweet and mild, with a hint of yeastiness. It gets runnier and more flavorful as it ages. Excellent with fruit, Taleggio is also traditionally served with bitter salad greens like radicchio.

Chime In

iVillage

Champagne Velvet Fondue

Ingredients

directions

notes