Caviar at it's Finest Delivered to Your Door
If I never say it enough, I’m blessed. The last few weeks, I’ve been focused on explaining sparkling wines to you. I do love them and believe that we should serve them more. That being said, I was leading up today’s article which I’ve been super excited to showcase Caviar.
Now, I’m not one to be able to have caviar wishes and Champagne dreams (some of you will get that reference) but I do love the finer aspects of life. One of my graduates started a Caviar company and asked me if I would taste what he sells. To which I replied quickly ‘Um Yes!!!’ So here is my unbiased review of the samples and how it works with wine.
How to Judge Quality Caviar
Since I do not have Caviar coming across my desk every day, I decided to catch up on some reading and research. Here’s the biggest points to remember about Caviar.
It should not smell like fish
Good caviar should smell like nothing. Some say that it should smell like the water it came from or the ocean. I do agree with those points. However, I do not like using this analogy because it depends on where you experienced the ocean. My first time being in the ocean was in Bermuda as a kid. In this case, the saltwater smell (which I was covered in) rings true. I’ve also spent time in Galveston, TX on the beach. While the ocean is breathtaking, in certain areas, you will see little, tiny dark balls. That just happens to be oil balls that have rolled up on the beach which changes the aroma dramatically.
One of the best comments I’ve heard is that it’s similar to a combination of cucumber and fresh shrimp. That I agree with. However, if it smells fishy, then it’s most likely very cheap or old product and you should discard it.
Keep exceptionally cold
Caviar is highly perishable, so you need to keep it cold. During my sampling time, the jars either stayed in the fridge or on ice like some of the pictures. It has to remain cold to maintain its quality but moreover to appreciate the delicate quality. As a whim, I pulled a small sample out and let it warm up for a minute before trying it. The eggs popped instantly, and you could tell that the flavor balance was off. Keep it on ice until sampling. If you are using it for a garnish, keep the item cold and serve cold.
Keep sealed and then use within 48 hours
Caviar has a good shelf life while it’s sealed. When I opened my samples, there was a pop indicating that they were each tightly sealed under vacuum. That’s great and you should look for this when opening. Once opened (and kept cold), it’s recommended to use quickly. Some say a few days. I saw a reference for 5 days. I think that’s too long since the eggs will oxidize from oxygen. I recommend 48 hours to maintain freshness. Pull out what you need, close tightly and store immediately as cold as possible in the fridge.
What food to serve with it?
This question was a fun one to research. I found so many references on what to serve and what not to serve with it. I pulled one of my reference books and they were serving caviar with each course and type of food.
I get it. When you have something this expensive that you need to use quickly, you will serve it in a number of dishes. However, I want you to think about something:
- You are dealing with a rare product, that took a great deal of effort to harvest and prepare. Why not focus on the caviar then?
Just remember, anything you serve with it should help the caviar taste better, not hide or reduce its quality and flavor.
What wines to serve with it?
This is another interesting one. While researching, someone posted that you can serve caviar with red wines. I highly disagree as the tannins would over power the delicate flavors and mouthfeel of the eggs. I would focus on sparkling wines or the occasional buttery chardonnay that would bring out the caviar quality.
For my reviews, I tried each caviar individually and made notes. I then paired it with the Codorniu Clasico Cava that I reviewed a few weeks ago to see how this sparkling interacted with the caviar. Now some may ask, why I did not use an expensive sparkling with the tasting? I wanted to as I have two Dom Perignon in my wine storage. However, eating three ounces of caviar and drinking a full bottle of Dom would have been a bit too much for this round.
However, it will happen in the future when I order more Caviar 😊
Two Tone Osetra
This is a very light creamy mouthfeel with the lightest salt of the three. Beautiful flavor and texture as the eggs popped on my tongue after a few seconds. The cleanest of the three and the least flavored. That does not mean it’s bad at all. I absolutely loved this caviar and was attempting to describe its floral quality on the palate. I was using all of my reference notes and can’t explain it. Just try it.
With the Cava, it was disappointing. This Cava almost made it flat as it lost some of its punch on the flavor profile. A great Vintage Champagne needs to be served with this as it would bring out the delicate nuances.
My Opinion – So worth trying this.
Grandeur Osetra
OMG is the first statement. Not because of the price but for the quality of this caviar. All I could think about was premium salted butter with a very small hint of baking spice. Unreal texture and creamy mouthfeel with the firm eggs that then burst. Absolutely delicious delicate flavor.
With the Cava, the sparkling brought out more of the yeast /biscuit tone when paired. It reminded me of eating a good salty crusted bread flavor. Just beautiful so a premium champagne or buttery Chardonnay would be incredible with this.
My Opinion – This was the best Caviar on its own with nothing else.
Platinum Osetra
This was the last one I sampled, and it was better than the first two. This was full on crusty fresh milled flour baguette with rich salted butter. This has the best flavor with incredible mouthfeel, delicate flavors, and all-around phenomenal product.
With the Cava, the wine dropped a bit of the Caviar’s salt which increased more of the flavor profile. The eggs exploded more with a satisfying pop on the palate which released their flavor. Blended with the Cava, this was almost impossible to describe.
My Opinion – This Caviar was the best pairing with the Cava and would love to try this with Champagne.
Final Thoughts
While you may not be able to have caviar each day, you need to check out Domaine Caviar and order from them. The product was shipped quickly, packed with cold packs and a tracking number so I knew instantly when it arrived at my house. Each tin was bubble wrapped and ice cold for me to store until I was able to sample.
Most important, this is an incredible product selection to enjoy. I plan to with some Dripping Springs Vodka that happens to be in my freezer. 🙂
