Champagne Tips and Trends for the Holiday Season — Liz Palmer  

Whether you’re clinking glasses at a festive reception or toasting with family over turkey dinner, there’s nothing quite like a glass of Champagne at Christmas!

Glamorous, festive and celebratory – here are some champagne tips to get the party started.

1. Champagne only comes from the Champagne region which is north east of France, or approximately 150 kilometers from Paris.

2. Tasting

All five senses are approached when enjoying Champagne – colour, aroma, texture, flavour and sound.

When you are tasting and comparing several Champagnes, it is best to serve them in the same type of glass and at the same temperature.

When pouring, fill the glass two-thirds full — this allows space for the aromas to circulate. Once the Champagne has been poured, allow some time for it to open up, revealing its complexities and richness of its bouquet.

To prevent loss of bubbles, Champagne should be poured down the side, rather than straight into the glass.

Avoid wearing lipstick or perfume; they can mask the aromas.

Lastly, when is the best time of the date to taste Champagne?
11 am – yes in the morning.
This is when your senses are at their peak!

3. Flute, Coupe or Tulip?

Stemware is a personal preference.
The flute works better for young Champagnes served at the proper temperature. If you can, avoid the coupe; it might look sexy and sophisticated, but does nothing for the wine. If you are serving a “tête de cuvee” or super-premium Champagne, my suggestion is to use the tulip — they are tall and large enough to allow the aromas to develop while maintaining elegance and depth.

Note — the tulip is used by winemakers for their daily tasting, as well as ISOs.

4. Temperature

The ideal serving temperature is between 8° and 10° C.
Cuvees of high quality and good maturity will be more appreciated at 12° C.

The proper way to chill Champagne is to put the bottle in a bucket of ice water for about 30 minutes.

5. Pairing

Not all champagne tastes the same, and certain varieties will suit certain foods.
Lighter styles like brut will make a delicious pre-dinner aperitif, and pair beautifully with seafood. Or, try a serving a Blanc de Blancs champagne (100% chardonnay) with smoked salmon canapés.

If you’re looking for a Champagne for your Christmas dinner, then a rich, toasty vintage cuvée is the way to go; my second choice would be a rose Champagne they both pair remarkably well with holiday dishes from turkey to cranberry sauce to stuffing, so it can be enjoyed throughout the meal.

6. Holiday Trends

The sheer diversity of champagne that we have on the shelves has never been stronger.

What we should look out for this holiday season is rose and vintage Champagne.
Vintage champagne are not that much more expensive than non-vintage, but they are much smaller in their production and usually finer in quality.

The 2008 vintage which is increasingly on the shelves at the moment, was the best that they’ve had in decades so look for ’08 as a particularly special “Christmas surprise”.

Rose Champagnes sales have increased over the past few years and are still on the rise. Rose is one of the most versatile styles and pair well with Italian food, Asian cuisine like Thai, Chinese and Japanese, and barbecue.

 

Champagne Tips and Trends for the Holiday Season — Liz Palmer  

CELEBRATE WITH CHAMPAGNE – EASY TIPS ON CHOOSING CHAMPAGNE FOR YOUR WEDDING

Selecting the right effervescent is a must for your wedding as it is the first bottle to be opened ….but not all bubbly is the same! While there are many quality sparkling wines produced around the world, true Champagne only comes Champagne France!

CHAMPAGNE STYLES

• Not all Champagne is alike. There are a variety of Champagne styles available, from full to light-bodied, Vintage to Rosé, as well as various levels of sweetness. One fun way of finding out which Champagne is right for your wedding is to host a Champagne tasting party as a bridesmaids’ activity. Using half bottles is a great way to cut costs while exploring the diversity of Champagne.

• Levels of sweetness include: Brut Natural (driest of the dry);
brut (very dry); extra brut (extra dry, but sweeter than brut); sec (medium sweet); demi-sec (sweet, considered a dessert wine) and doux (very sweet, considered a dessert wine) – keep this as a guide when ordering.

• Types of Champagne include: blanc de blancs which is made entirely from the Chardonnay grape. These Champagnes are light, elegant, and refreshing. A richer style is blanc de noir which is made entirely from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. This Champagne will have a dark gold color with the slightest tinge of pink, and finally rosé Champagne. The winemaker adds a small amount of Pinot Noir to base the wine blend.

SHOPPING ADVICE

• Having an accurate and up-to-date guest list will assist you when ordering.

• You should plan for 2 glasses of Champagne per guest.

• A bottle of Champagne fills 6 glasses (8 if the flutes are narrow).

• You don’t have to break the bank to serve Champagne at your wedding. This one-of-a-kind wine is available at a wide range of price points.

SERVING

• Champagne should be well chilled – this can be done by placing the bottle in a bucket of ice and water for 30 minutes prior to serving.

• Champagne should be poured in front of guests – part of the pleasure is seeing the bubbles froth up in the glass as it’s poured, and at the same time capturing the aromas.

• Use tall, tulip or flute glasses, which capture and promote bubbles and concentrate its aromas, while improving the experience. Saucer-type glasses should not be used as they cause the bubbles to disappear rapidly and are awkward to hold.

T I P S

• Brut is considered the classic choice.

• If you plan to use Champagne for cocktails choose extra brut Champagne.

• Rosé Champagne with its pink hue not only contributes to the romantic twist of the celebration but also stands out as a unique and memorable alternative.

• In serving a glass of champagne with the wedding cake, I recommend sweeter demi-sec champagne.

• Suggest to the venue manager that you would like to taste the Champagnes before you decide – this is a perfectly reasonable request.

MY PICK

Blanc de Blancs Champagne is a perfect wine for toasts. The name literally means “white of white,” a perfect complement to the wedding gown.

No matter what Champagne you choose, it is certain to add an air of festivity to your special day. After all, Champagne is the quintessential wine of celebration!

Liz Palmer
@Champagnehouses