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Did you ever consider creating a four course dinner with one sparkling wine? The thought actually hasn't occured to me for one primary reason. That is, because pairing different wines with different courses is one of the most fun, educational, and creative endeavors one can imagine.

However, staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle Lynne Char Bennett posted a menu in her paper that seems as if it would, in fact, be idea ... assuming your guests love champagne as much as you. Even though sparkling wines of all types symbolize celebration, not everyone is wild about finishing more than a glass. That is, except for the Germans, who import more sparkling wine than anyone else in the world.

My own "love" (?) for champagne improved remarkably after I had to study for a very intense exam in which students for the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust were expected to know everything that had ever been written about every sparkling wine produced in every country in the history of the world. This means grapes, the way the wine is produced, options the wine makers have, the climate, and related elements. Then, of course, a blind tasting to make sure a candidate knows her Cremant de Die from her Grand Cru.

Anyway, here is a clip of Ms. Bennett's ideas for an all champagne dinner. If you attempt this, please use the comment feature to share your pairings ...

"Appetizer: Filet Mignon Tataki

Sparkling wine pairings usually stick to the white grapes. Serving nearly raw beef with brut breaks the mold right at the start, signaling your guests to prepare for an extraordinary evening.

The beef is a rich base for important pairing partners - the condiments - that actually make the match. The condiments' salt and tartness moderate the fat in the beef, and are tempered in turn by the brut's zingy acidity.

Other options: More conventional appetizers such as crowd-pleasing garlicky shrimp, scallops or crab cakes are all enhanced by brut's citrusy character."

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