Top 10 Champagne tips

Top 10 Champagne tips

Give your celebrations extra fizz with our guide to choosing, enjoying and serving the best bubbly.

Feature by Karen O\'Grady

What is champagne?

With champagne, it\'s all about the grapes and also where those grapes are grown. Champagne can only be made in the Champagne region of France, using a blend of white and red grapes. The skins of the red grapes are not pressed, ensuring a finished wine of light colour. To produce authentic champagne, only three grape varieties can be used:

Pinot Noir
A black grape variety that contributes aromas of red fruits and adds strength and body to the blend.

Meunier
A supple and spicy black grape variety with white juice. It gives champagne roundness and fragrance.

Chardonnay
A white grape giving wines finesse, adding floral and sometimes mineral overtones to young wines.

Blanc de Blancs champagne wines are made using only white (Chardonnay) grapes and Blanc de Noirs is made using only red grapes (Meunier, Pinot Noir).

What about Rosé?

Rosé champagne is usually made by adding finished red wine, usually from the same region, to the white wine. This is the most straightforward way to create a Rosé, and is favoured by producers as it means the finished taste, aroma and colour of the champagne is easy to control.

Occasionally, a more complicated method known as ‘saignée\'  may be used to create Rosé. This involves the red grape skins being left to macerate for a short time with the pressed juices, resulting in a Rosé blend. However, this method can produce unpredictable results, and so for this reason is not widely used.

Vintage or non-vintage?

Non-vintage champagnes are a blend of harvested grapes, and wines from previous years. This ensures that the unique taste of the champagne remains the same each year. If you love the taste of a particular champagne, then opt for non-vintage as the distinctive house style will be maintained year on year.

Vintage champagnes are not made every year; only when there has been an exceptional harvest. By definition, vintage champagnes must only be made from the grapes of one harvest, not various years, as is allowed with non-vintage. As a result, the taste of these champagnes will be unique, capturing the aromas and flavours of one particular years\' harvest.

Sweet or dry?

As with wine, champagne can be enjoyed sweet or dry. At the end of the ageing period the winemaker adds a solution of sugar, this is known as the ‘dosage\'. If you like sweet champagne, look for Demi-sec or Doux blends. However if you prefer dry champagne, opt for Brut or Extra Dry. The sugar content of champagne will be listed on the label:

Doux (more than 50 grams/litre)
Demi-Sec (33-50 grams/litre)
Sec  (17-35 grams/litre)
Extra Dry (12 -20 grams/litre)
Brut  (less than 15 grams/litre)
Extra Brut (0-6 grams/litre)     

Champagne wines containing less than three grams per litre are also known as Brut Nature, Pas Dosé or Dosage Zero.

Reading the label

Useful information is given on the champagne label, making choosing the right champagne easier. The diagram on the left shows where to find information such as the origin of the producer, the style and alcohol content of the champagne along with the brand and name of the champagne.

Tasting tips

Take a tulip-shaped glass and pour just half a glass of champagne, this makes it easier to swirl the champagne around the glass, releasing more aromas and flavours.

Next, assess the visual aspect of the champagne - is it bright and shiny or dull? It should appear bright - dullness is often a sign of faulty champagne. Now, look at the colour. As a general rule the older the champagne, the more golden it becomes.

Once the initial effervescence has subsided, bring the glass to your nose. Inhale slowly at length, and then inhale again. Finally, taste the champagne. Roll it around in your mouth, sensing not only its taste but also its texture and weight. Just before you\'re about to swallow, try to recall the imprint of the champagne on your palate. The after-taste (finish) is an indication of quality - the longer the finish the better the champagne.

Serving with food

Champagne can be matched with a variety of foods. Try these classic combinations when entertaining:

Non-Vintage Champagnes are easy to drink as an aperitif, perfect served alongside canapés at a drinks party.

Blanc de Blancs Champagnes make crisp, lively aperitifs and are excellent with oysters, shellfish and elegantly flavoured white fish. 

Blanc de Noirs Champagnes are full-bodied, making excellent accompaniments to fairly robust dishes such as partridge, veal and pork.

Vintage Champagnes can be paired with a wide variety of dishes and make a perfect match for turkey or goose.

Non-Vintage Rosé Champagnes capture the aroma of berries, making a lovely fresh aperitif. Also try with prawns, seafood and goats cheese.

Vintage Rosé Champagnes have a rich, savoury character that works well with red meats.

Demi-Sec Champagnes are sweet, providing the perfect companion for desserts.

Storage and chilling advice

Champagne needs to be chilled in a refrigerator for a minimum of three to four hours before serving. If you are short on time, place the bottle in an ice bucket filled with ice and water and leave to chill for 20 minutes. Younger champagnes can be served at an ideal temperature of 8ºC, while mature or vintage champagne will be perfect at 10ºC. Be careful not to over-chill champagne as this will affect the aroma and taste.

Opening the bottle

When opening a bottle of champagne, slant the bottle at a 45 degree angle, twist the bottle and slowly let the pressure help push the cork out. The champagne should sigh as it leaves the bottle, and not a drop will be spilt.

How to serve

Ideally use a long-stemmed, tulip shaped glass for the ultimate long-lasting sparkle. When pouring Champagne, hold the glass upright and pour a small quantity of the wine into the glass. Allow to settle then top the glass up, but no more than two-thirds full. Between glasses, store the opened bottle of Champagne in an ice bucket for no more than three hours.

Champagne glasses should be washed without washing-up liquid in hot, clean water and left to drain dry. 

For more information on champagne, visit www.champagne-civc.co.uk and www.champagne.fr

For more ways to enjoy champagne, take a look at these festive drink and recipe ideas...

Make the perfect Kir Royale

Wild Mushroom and Parmesan Wafers with Champagne Sauce 

Champagne and Ginger Jelly

Puck jelly

Mango Gratin with Champagne Sabayon