Which food and champagne pairing is the best?
The essentials
The ideal pairing of food and champagne follows the progression of the meal: a low-dosage champagne accompanies the aperitif and shellfish, a blanc de blancs enhances pan-fried foie gras, a blanc de noir pairs well with roast poultry, and a dry, semi-dry or sweet champagne complements dessert.
- Which champagne should you serve with oysters or seafood?
- To accompany oysters, smoked salmon or a seafood platter, a slightly crisp champagne with low sugar content is the ideal choice: it is the drink’s freshness that is key for these starters.
- Which champagne would go well with an entire meal from start to finish?
- Non-vintage brut champagne is the most classic and universally appealing choice: it can accompany a meal from start to finish. It is advisable to work your way from the least complex to the most complex champagne.
- Which champagne should you choose to go with roast poultry or meat?
- With roast poultry, a ‘Blanc de Noir’ champagne – which is more full-bodied and made predominantly from Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier – is recommended. For meat dishes, a vintage brut champagne pairs very well.
From aperitifs to dessert, pairing food with champagne is not something to be left to chance: blanc de blancs, blanc de noir or demi-sec — there’s a champagne to suit every course.
For the starter
With a Champagne that is a little lively and low in sugar, opt for the aperitif to awaken your taste buds. What is important at this moment is the freshness of the drink. With these same champagnes, it is possible to continue with starters based on shellfish and raw fish such as oysters, smoked salmon, seafood platters, etc. If the foie gras is prepared pan-fried, choose a blanc de blanc champagne to combine the fat of the liver with the acidity of the wine. You can taste all this, by going to a gastronomic restaurant in Lille, or in any prestigious restaurant.
For the main course
With a rather tasty roasted poultry, it is possible to go for a more vinous champagne, often made with a large majority of pinot noir or pinot meunier. This corresponds to a blanc de noir champagne, i.e. made from black grapes. The non-vintage brut champagne is the most common, classic and consensual. You can drink it from the beginning to the end of the meal, it will please your guests.
The vintage brut champagne will go very well with meat dishes, which you can find in Lille restaurants. Younger vintages should precede older wines, as complexity is less noticeable in younger wines. It is recommended to go from the least complex champagne to the most complex.
For dessert
Dry, semi-dry or sweet champagne will be perfect to accompany a dessert. Its very sweet side goes very well with the sweetness of the latter.
