First of all, it is important to understand that the variations of terroirs, grape varieties, or even dosages will guide your choice. With all this diversity, Champagne can be the ideal companion for your future dinners.

Let us accompany you through this 5 step menu:

Puff pastry to start

To begin this meal, there is nothing like homemade puff pastry as an appetizer. 

The crunchy and buttery side of the puff pastry will be perfectly matched with a Blanc de Blancs Champagne, made from 100% Chardonnay.

We are thinking in particular of Robert Moncuit's Cuvée "Réserve Perpétuelle". This estate, located in Mesnil-sur-Oger, works the vine as naturally as possible and offers here a solera started in 2006, a wonderful balance between roundness, complexity and minerality.

Morels and Champagne !

For the starter, we suggest a vegetarian recipe, based on cream and morels. This pairing takes on its full meaning with a vintage Champagne, which has wisely waited in the cellar. The evolution will bring subtle notes of undergrowth and will allow to launch the meal in the best way.

Try the Cuvée Vintage 2004 from Veuve Clicquot. An incredible vintage and a historic house for a tonic and generous pairing.

Sea side

Seafood yes, but which ones?

Champagne Blanc de Blancs is an excellent choice to accompany oysters, shellfish and crustaceans because of its freshness and acidity that counterbalance the sweetness and iodine of these products.

The Champagne Delamotte Blancs de Blancs will be perfect for the game, thanks to its minerality and the finesse of its bubbles. 

For seafood or cooked fish, opt for a fuller and more gourmet Blanc de Blancs Champagne. Aging in barrels will offer complexity and generosity to the wine, and will allow a harmonious agreement with the smooth texture of the dish. 

(scallops roasted with butter and herbs for example!). 

The Cuvée des Caudalies from Domaine De Sousa will be perfect for this role. A wine made exclusively in barrels, and a wine from a solera started in 1995. An incredible length, a lot of finesse, and an almost creamy mouth. To taste with closed eyes!

A balance with the dish

For the main course, it is important to choose a Champagne that will compete with the aromatic power of the recipe, without dominating it. The liveliness and power of a Blanc de Noirs with a low dosage is an option not to be neglected. 

We thought of Nicolas Maillart's Cuvée "Francs de Pied 2003". This 100% Pinot Noir comes from vines planted without rootstock (a rarity in Champagne). It opens with aromas of black fruits and toasted bread, and will be the perfect ally with a pan-fried foie gras or even a roast veal.

With cheese, it's possible!

Le fromage est souvent oublié lorsque l’on évoque le Champagne.

Pourtant, il saura sublimer les fromages crémeux, comme le Brillât Savarin ou encore le Chaource.  L’accord sera alors plus frais, plus léger grâce à l’effervescence de ses bulles.

Le Champagne Brut 1999 de la maison Alfred Gratien offrira gourmandise et complexité face à ces fromages généreux.

The cherry on the cake

It would be a shame to forget the Champagne for the last step of this menu!

More complicated to match with chocolate, opposing here the bitterness of the cocoa and the acidity of the wine, we recommend you rather to match Champagne with fruit desserts and why not with cream. 

Notice to Black Forest lovers, where the acidulous and crunchy side of the cherry will find a nice balance with a Brut Rosé or even Demi-Sec Champagne.

The Rosé de Saignée from Domaine Fleury, a 100% Pinot Noir from one of the precursor estates of biodynamic farming in Champagne, will be the perfect end to your dinner, on a note full of gourmandise.

Have a good tasting !

For other paring ideas, find our entire selection of Champagne:

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