Cheese with Champagne 

My consistently favorite pairing with Champagne falls far from the butterbombs.

It's a glorious illustration of pairing similar flavors in an effort to amplify their similarities.

The aged mountain cheeses of France and Switzerland, with their dense-yet-elastic pastes and flavors of brown butter and roasted hazelnuts, are happy bedfellows with the perfectly golden toastiness of good Champagne. The wine's relentless yet finely delicate bubble manages to respect the cheese's texture while loosening and lightening it in the mouth.

Comte tends to be sweeter and "Swissier," Gruyere nuttier, Appenzeller or Challerhocker spicier. Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve or Nature's Harmony Fortsonia preserve these qualities in the new world.