Of all the famous names in the world of wine, none holds more weight than Champagne. It’s synonymous with celebration and is usually only brought out on the biggest occasions. Part of the appeal is its exclusivity. Champagne must be made in the region of Champagne, which is found in the region of Grand Est in northeastern France.
Another part of the appeal is the sparkling wine’s decadent flavour profile. It’s usually made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Pinot Meunier grapes, and sometimes Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc. Classic Champagne is highly acidic, light-bodied and very effervescent, with a velvety mouthfeel and flavours ranging from sharp citrus to crisp red fruits. Champagne is almost always light in color, so examples made from Pinot Noir will be called “blanc de noirs” (white from dark), while Chardonnay-based versions may be labeled as “blanc de blancs”.
Thanks to its high acidity, Champagne can work with a lot of different foods, but it’s particularly good with buttery and creamy dishes. Drier iterations are wonderful with seafood, white meats and a whole host of finger food, while sweeter versions can be paired with desserts and soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.
Meat That Pairs Well With Champagne
Champagne is generally light-bodied, so it pairs best with seafood and lighter, white meats. Oysters are a classic Champagne pairing. Both items bring a smooth mouthfeel, and if you enjoy your oysters with a twist of lemon juice, they will share a certain citrus zing. You can also pair it with light, flaky fish such as sole, sea bass, or tilapia.
Roasted or fried chicken is also a must-try. Salty, crispy skin brings out the best flavours of Champagne and makes the wine seem all the more refreshing. If you’re cooking up chicken in a creamy sauce, Champagne brings more than enough acidity to cut through it, cleansing the palate and providing harmony, due to its own creamy mouthfeel. Generally speaking, the drier your Champagne, the denser your chosen meat can be.
Surprisingly, you can even pair Champagne with steak. You should stick to brut or extra-brut versions with very little residual sugar, but Champagne brings enough acidity and bubbles to chop through the richness of a good, red steak.
Cheese That Pairs Well With Champagne
To get the most out of Champagne’s flavour profile, it should be paired with soft, creamy cheeses. Bonus points if they have a level of saltiness. Look for names like Brie, Camembert, Comté, Roquefort, Burrata or Brillat-Savarin. Triple cream cheeses provide the perfect challenge for Champagne’s bright acidity, and the wine serves as a brilliant palate cleanser when you’re working your way through a cheese plate. For more of a flavour contrast, you can also try out harder, nutty cheese like Parmesan or Gruyere.
Appetizers That Pair Well With Champagne
Champagne is an exceptional aperitif, and it seems like almost too much of a coincidence that it matches perfectly with another of the world’s most luxurious consumables- caviar.
The way that caviar and Champagne mesh together is enough to make you religious. Caviar has everything that you need in a Champagne pairing, mild, fresh and slightly saline flavours, with a buttery mouthfeel.
Champagne will work with pretty much any appetizer. Try a charcuterie board, to fit in as many flavour combinations as possible. The crispness of the sparkling wine will complement briny olives, salty dried meat and an array of soft cheeses. To complement Champagne’s yeasty side, you can also pair it with wholegrain crackers, topped with a slice of cheese.
A famous French aperitif called “Kir” can also be topped up with Champagne instead of white wine to make a “Kir Royale”. This drink is usually just some crème de cassis topped up with white wine and is used as a before-dinner palate primer.
Vegetarian Dishes That Pair Well With Champagne
It’s no secret that Champagne is brilliant with deep-fried food. This extends to vegetables too. A vegetable tempura medley (battered and fried sweet potatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, eggplant, and even pumpkin) is a great option. The Champagne’s high acidity and hints of sweetness balance out the saltiness of the crispy batter, and it works well with deep-fried potato chips too.
On the healthier side, Champagne will complement a risotto with green vegetables beautifully, meshing with the parmesan and cutting through the thick, gooey rice.
You can also have it alongside a fruit salad, to put Champagne’s fruity profile to work.
Herbs That Pair Well With Champagne
When pairing herbs with Champagne, think along the lines of simple and fresh. Herbs like basil or mint match the wine’s freshness. It also works well with simply seasoned foods, like salty potato chips.
Sweeter versions like a Demi-sec Champagne will stand up to warmer spices, like cinnamon, ginger or paprika.
Food That Does Not Pair Well With Champagne
It’s actually more of a challenge to find foods that don’t pair with Champagne. Generally speaking, stay away from dishes that are overly sweet and rich, such as thick chocolate cake. Sweet Champagnes paired with these sorts of desserts will give you a stomach ache, and tart Brut or Extra-Brut Champagnes will contrast in a bad way. The general guideline with Champagne is: crisp and salty foods are good, and dense and sweet foods are not so good.
Best Foods To Eat With Champagne
Champagne will pair with almost anything, but for maximum pleasure, stick to foods that are buttery and salty, with relatively mild flavours. These are some of your best options for pairing a bottle of Champagne:
- Oysters
- Fried Chicken
- Caviar
- Soft Cheese
- Roast Chicken
