After focusing our attention on German cheese and wine for the last few weeks of our pairing series, we now shift our energy to France. Our cheese cave has just been reloaded with newly arrived French goodies, and the time to explore them is now. For this week’s pairing, we head to the northern region of Champagne - Ardenne, just east of Paris and bordering Burgundy to the south. Here we find a cheese named, Langres, a deeply rich and creamy, soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese produced at La Fromagerie Germain. Made with pasteurized cow’s milk harvested from a small number of farms within 20 miles of the creamery, this savory cheese is complex in both form and flavor. Whereas most cheeses of this type may be flipped multiple times over the course of the first few days of their life, to achieve a balanced, symmetrical shape, Langres is only turned once during its entire production. The result is a hollowed surface on its top side, in which tradition might recommend a splash or douse of Champagne to aid creaminess and add excitement. While not a Champagne, our wine pairing for this week sparkles, and is produced by winemaker Julien Raimbault, a little ways to the southwest, in the wine growing region of Vouvray, within the Loire Valley. This bright and citrusy, lighter-bodied sparkling white, made with 100% Chenin Blanc grapes, promotes the cheese’s yeasty rind and balances its salty, meaty profile. The bubbles help to scrub the palate and the wine’s delicate sweetness lightens the mood. Do yourself a favor this weekend and celebrate this pairing for yourself!