Champagne

Champagne is a sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France, usually made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Expect citrus, green apple and pear with brioche, toast and almond notes from ageing. Crisp, complex and famously celebratory, it’s brilliant with oysters, seafood, sushi, fried chicken, chips, soft cheese and canapés.

Taste:

Crisp, complex and carrying several centuries of main-character energy.

Champagne can range from bone-dry to sweet, although most bottles you’ll come across are Brut, meaning dry. Expect lemon, green apple and pear alongside white flowers and fresh mineral notes.

Ageing on the yeast left after the second fermentation adds some of Champagne’s most distinctive flavours, including brioche, toast, biscuit and nuts. Longer-aged and vintage examples can become richer and more complex, developing honey, baked apple and spice.

The bubbles should feel fine and persistent, while Champagne’s naturally high acidity keeps everything seriously fresh.

Turns out "Champagne taste" became an expression for a reason.

Food Pairings:

Champagne is much more useful around food than saving it exclusively for a toast.

Seafood is classic territory. Try it with oysters, prawns, crab, scallops, lobster, mussels or a full seafood platter. Sushi, sashimi and smoked salmon are brilliant matches too.

Then there’s fried food. Champagne’s bubbles and acidity cut through richness beautifully, making fried chicken, tempura, calamari and fish and chips genuinely excellent pairings.

For something casual, try it with chips, crisps or salted popcorn. Yes, really.

It also works beautifully with canapés, charcuterie and creamy cheeses such as Brie, Camembert and triple-cream cheese.

Richer vintage styles can handle roast chicken, roast turkey and mushroom dishes too.

Basically, stop waiting for someone to get engaged before opening it.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Champagne, English Sparkling Wine is an obvious next move, often using the same grapes and traditional production method in similarly cool conditions.

Crémant offers traditional-method French sparkling wine made outside Champagne, while Franciacorta is Italy’s prestigious take on bottle-fermented sparkling wine.

Cava is another great option if crisp bubbles, food-friendly acidity and yeasty complexity are what you love most.

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More About Champagne:

Real Champagne can only come from the Champagne region of France and must follow the appellation’s production rules.

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are its three principal grapes, although several other varieties are permitted in small quantities.

The bubbles are created through a second fermentation inside the bottle, followed by ageing on the lees. That extended contact with spent yeast helps create the brioche, biscuit and toasty flavours associated with the style.

You'll also see terms including Blanc de Blancs, generally indicating white Champagne made from white grapes, and Blanc de Noirs, made from dark-skinned grapes.

And no, technically not every sparkling wine is Champagne.

Champagne's legal team has been extremely clear on this.