Bark hot dogs

Can Champagne and Hot Dogs Be A Perfect Match?

Filed under: Wine

When it comes to Champagne, the French have got it right: they drink it all the time. In the US, we tend to save it for special occasions, like weddings or New Year's Eve. That's too bad. Because Champagne is truly one of the most versatile wines.

That's probably what Jeffrey Pogash had in mind when he organized a Champagne and hot dog tasting the other day. Yes, the lowly hot dog sharing the table with the most prestigious of beverages!

And these weren't just any old Champagnes. Pogash, director of communications at Moët Hennessy USA, the wine and spirits division of luxury purveyor LVMH, brought along some bottles of Krug and Ruinart, along with the more amply-produced Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.

Then again, these weren't your standard issue dirty water dogs, either. The tasting was held at Bark, a year-old Brooklyn joint that features artisanal hot dogs made from locally raised pork and beef (none of the nasty bits either -- we're talking shoulder and jowl) braised in smoked lard butter and stuffed into natural casings. In fact, all the ingredients used at Bark, from the pork to the cheese to the heirloom baked beans, are sustainably, lovingly even, from the sound of it, produced by some earnest local soul.

Still, could these haute dogs stand up to some of France's finest bubbles? An 8-course tasting menu (nine, including dessert) would tell.

Tags: Bark hot dogs, champagne, krug, krug champagne, Moet Hennessy, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot