Hey bubbly lovers, it’s time to dive into another lesson from the Bubbleista’s Effervescent Education series! For today’s #ChampagneTedTalk we going to have a mini lesson with tips on how to *best* pair champagne with food!
You ready? Let’s go!
I’m sure you guys have heard this pairing advice before: “Champagne goes with everything!“
While this is mostly true in a general sense, it also unknowingly does a disservice to the hard work that winemakers put into creating a variety of distinctive blends, and downplays the beautiful complexities present in different expressions and styles of champagne.
Do you know what that means? It means some champagnes actually pair better than others with certain foods! Mind. Blown.
Let’s take the three bottles in this post’s photo as a prime example. We have a Blanc de Blancs by @champagnevazartcoquart, a Brut blend by @champagnelanson, and a rosé by @champagnedeutz.
The Blanc de Blancs is going to be refined, elegant, and lighter bodied because it’s made of 100% Chardonnay. This means it will pair better with lighter textured, fried, and creamier foods like:
- fried catfish
- shrimp fried rice (or, if you’re like me, you love crab fried rice!)
- chicken fettuccine Alfredo
- light, creamy cheeses like brie and Gruyère de Comté
- vegetable spring rolls and egg rolls
The Brut blend is going to have a little more weight to it because of the addition of Pinot Noir to Chardonnay. A slightly weightier wine loves slightly weightier foods such as:
- lemon pepper wings
- beef or chicken tacos {but not too spicy!}
- truffle popcorn
- boiled crawfish with corn and potatoes (woo00, yes Lordy! lol)
Lastly Rosés, with their complexities and weight coming from skin contact or from the addition of still red wine, can stand up to flavorful, heartier, heavier dishes such as:
- phở
- lobster rolls
- beef or salmon burgers
- lamb chops
- barbecued ribs and smoked brisket
You’d be doing a light-bodied Blanc de Blancs a grave injustice to drink it with heavier foods because it’d be over powered, which makes for much less enjoyment at best, and an unpleasant experience at worst.
But you don’t have to take my word for it— experiment for yourself: pour a half glass of each style, grab a taco, and take a sip of each after a bite of taco. You’ll see for yourself how different the flavor profiles and taste sensations are.
Speaking of doing your tasting experiment with a taco, you may have noticed that I selected a lot of “everyday” dishes and foods as pairing suggestions. I did that intentionally because champagne is a wine that you can–and SHOULD–drink anytime, with all types of food! There’s no need to wait for a special meal or special reason to enjoy champagne.
Ooh, all this talking about champagne and food has officially made me hungry! Cheers to making better food and wine matches!