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A Guide to Fantastic Champagne and Food Pairings

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When you think of Champagne do you instantly think of a celebration?  For most people the answer is yes.  It’s the epitome of sparkling, celebratory style, and people either tend to drink it on its own, or pair it with delectable, luxurious seafood such as caviar or oysters. Some might even consider it something of a cliché. However, trying some of these top ten refreshing recommendations from Epicurious for unusual food and champagne pairings will pique your interest in this classic wine. Champagne IS expensive, so search out the best champagne deals to enjoy a little affordable luxury.

Cheese Platter

  •     Champagne and Cheese

Who Knew Champagne and Cheese Could Go so Well?  Cheese is often paired with red wine, but a sophisticated choice is to match it with a fruity, white wine. A sparkling, acidic Blanc de Blanc, made from Chardonnay grapes, becomes intensely fruity as it ages and is an excellent match with a strong, salty yet creamy cheese such as Roquefort. The fruity and floral notes of the champagne will complement the ripe flavours of the cheese while its acidity cuts through the Roquefort’s richness.

  •     Champagne and Chocolate

Traditionally, champagne has not been recommended as a good partner for chocolate desserts, but dark, bitter chocolate with a hint of orange is a match made in heaven for a rosé Champagne. These champagnes are usually made from a 70%/30% blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, and dark chocolate intensifies the complexity of the rosé flavours. Try your rosé with a chocolate-orange mousse made with good-quality dark chocolate, or for the comfort-food option, break open a pack of Jaffa cakes; they are a surprisingly excellent match. Maybe it’s the biscuity, crumbly texture of the “cake” which marries the combination of flavours so well.

  •     Champagne and Fish and Chips

As mentioned above, champagne is often thought of as a partner for luxury seafood, but have you thought about pairing it with classic British fish and chips? Once again it is the acidity and sparkle of champagne which comes to the fore. The effervescence of the wine will complement the crispy batter of the fish, and the acidity will cut through the richness of the fried food. A Brut style of champagne would be an excellent choice to pair with fish and chips, complete with a side dish of mushy peas.

Champagne and Sushi

  •     Champagne and Sushi

The refreshing dryness of Brut and Extra Brut champagne styles goes very well with some Japanese food, such as sushi. The delicate flavours of the raw fish and rice are very compatible with the champagne; this matching of flavours is successful because of the yeastiness that is found in both the champagne and the soy flavouring used in the preparation of sushi.

  •     Champagne and Curry

More usually partnered by cold beer, the exotic spices of Asian food are well-partnered by dry styles of champagne. Champagne goes very well with dishes flavoured with ginger, and some champagnes are described as having a “curry-like” nose. The golden effervescence of a Blanc de Noir, made from red grapes, has notes of plum, wheat and spices and is an excellent partner for curry dishes.

Thanks to Tesco for sponsoring this post which helps to keep the lights on around here.  When John’s son went to university at Reading we’d always shop at Tesco.  It was the first time I’d ever seen the checkout staff seated and thought someone really smart runs things in this company.

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Comments

  3. What a wonderful guide. Thanks for sharing. I love champagne, and I like seeing it for “everyday use” rather than only for special occasions.

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  5. Although I’m more likely to open a can/bottle of beer than a bottle of champers, because of the cost and because I can finish the beer at one sitting while I have been known to take a week to finish a bottle of champagne, I do enjoy champagne when I have some. The champagne and sushi combo is very appealing.

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  7. On my first visit to France Champagne and Cheese was served for dinner one night. I fell in love with that pairing for life. Can’t afford it often, but when I do ~ C’est la vie !!!!!

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  11. Great guide! We’ve actually had all of those combos — champagne happens to be Mrs KR’s favorite (why couldn’t she be a fan of something cheaper, like beer?!), so we have it often. The fish and chips combo is a particular favorite of ours, or really champagne with anything that’s crisp and deep fried. Fun post — thanks.

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  15. You’re so smart about all of this Maureen. I would never in a million years thought to pair champagne with some of this … but why not? We love visiting Tesco when we’re in London. A great store, for sure!

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  18. I love the look of the champagne with the cheese platter. I definitely associate champagne with a celebration. It’s always a great way to kick off a holiday and sometimes champagne is great all by itself! xx

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  22. Oh wow, great! Champagne goes well with a lot of food partners I didn’t know about. Thanks for sharing!

    Julie
    Gourmet Getaways

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  26. Ah, you got me on this one, Maureen! I’d have never thought to pair champagne with fish & chips, but you put it so eloquently, it makes sense. A great read—thanks for sharing it.

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  29. Maureen this is a great guide. I think anything pretty much goes with a good dry style champagne and if I was a tad richer I’d have it for breakfast

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  31. Great post Maureen. It always surprises me when people don’t think about drinking champagne more often (with meals). It’s not just a ‘special occasion’ drink. I always have bottles of bubbly at the house. I think we should make more occasions special. 😉

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  33. I happen to love champagne with just about anything! Maybe it is the bubbles that make me feel all happy inside. Well, let’s call it bubbles!

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  38. Dear Maureen,

    Thanks for some handy hints, my fave there is champagne with sushi.

    I find dry style champagne with its nutty / toasty flavour goes really well with strawberries, raspberries and dark ripened cherries. A tip for the boys – cut watermelon into thick soldiers (like potato chips) then dip them in sweet sparkling pinot noir and feed to the girls. Success rate is 98.89%.

    Reply

  41. I really enjoyed this post. I have many times in the past drank Champagne or champagne like beverages for the joy of the beverage and not merely because I was celebrating. But you offered some new combos I hadn’t tried. Plus I realize that I hadn’t done that in awhile. Time to fix that!

    Reply

  43. I have to admit to having had fish and chips and champagne before, perched on a wall in a lovely British sea side town! They went together really well 😀 I like the idea of some of these other pairings as well. By the way I love the redesign of the blog very swish 😀

    Reply

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