CHAMPAGNE SERVICE

2023 is just getting started and birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, and King Charles III’s Coronation are amongst some of the celebrations to look forward to. What better way to commemorate these milestones than with a glass of the world’s most prestigious sparkling wine: Champagne. With that in mind, the Bureau du Champagne UK shares its top tips on how to correctly serve Champagne - so you can shine as a host and showcase the magic of this very special sparkling wine!

Find the right Champagne style for every occasion

With a vast range of Champagne styles to choose from, selecting the perfect bottle can be a tricky task. From Blanc de Blancs to Blanc de Noirs; Rosé and Demi-sec champagnes, every style will add something different to the occasion. For a drink pre-dinner, the general tendency is to opt for a Champagne that is not too vinous, with no particularly dominant aromas such as a nonvintage Brut or a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs (made entirely from a white grape variety such as Chardonnay for example). Serve it with lightly salted crackers, nuts, green olives and bite-sized pieces of Gruyère cheese. A Blanc de Noirs, produced exclusively from black grape varieties such as Pinot Noir or Meunier, are full-bodied with notes of white and yellow fruits. When matured for longer, Blanc de Noirs can develop notes and aromas of coffee, cocoa, and brioche.

Rosé Champagne can range from soft to deep pink and from very light to full-bodied and aromas can vary from fresh to much more powerful. A Demi-sec has a higher sugar content than the majority of Champagne wines with between 32 and 50 grams of

To find out more about Champagne visit champagne.fr or enrol at champagne-mooc.com sugar per litre - this produces a much rounder sparkling wine with notes that are sweet on the palate. For a landmark anniversary or birthday, why not indulge in a Vintage Champagne. A vintage Champagne can be of any type - to mark its characteristics, a vintage Champagne will spend at least 36 months in the cellar and often a good deal longer leading to much more pronounced aromas.

Read the label

A label gives you information about the wine in the bottle and is quite easy to understand. Several indications are mandatory on a Champagne bottle: the “Champagne” AOC (appellation), the sugar content (dosage: brut, sec, demi-sec, etc.), the alcohol content (% vol), the brand name, the producer’s name etc…

Something to look out for are the initials “NM”, “RM” and “CM”:

A Négociant Manipulant (NM) is an individual or company who, in addition to the grapes sourced from their own vines if they have any, buys grapes, musts or wines to make Champagne on their own premises.

A Récoltant Manipulant (RM) makes own-label Champagne from grapes exclusively sourced from their own vineyards

A Récoltant-Coopérateur (RC) delivers grapes from their own harvest to their cooperative - then retrieves from this cooperative the musts or wines in the process of being made or ready to be sold.

Chill your Champagne

Chilling Champagne is essential to enjoy the full extent of its finesse. The best way to chill a bottle of Champagne is to plunge it into an ice bucket half filled with water and ice for around 30 minutes until it reaches a temperature of 8 to 10 degrees Celsius. If you are running short on time, add two tablespoons of salt to the cold water. This will bring your bottle to the perfect temperature within 30 minutes.

Which glass should I use?

Flutes have commonly been thought of as the crème de la crème, however, a tall, rounded, tulip-shaped glass perfectly shows off your Champagne’s aromas and bubbles.

How to open and serve your Champagne

The blunt pop of the cork and the fizz of the fine bubbles - instantly reminiscent of celebration - is a sparkling start to any celebration. But how do you open a bottle of Champagne correctly? After removing the wire cage and foil cap keep a firm hold on the cork, hold the bottle and tilt it to a 30-45° angle, being careful to point it safely away from anyone. Gently rotate the bottle until the cork slowly pops out.

To correctly pour your Champagne, start with a small amount into your tulip shaped glass and let it sit for a few moments. Then, slowly fill up the rest of the glass until it is two-thirds full. Do not take the person’s glass when pouring. Notice the effervescence and the forming of the “pearl necklace” on the surface of the Champagne. Now it is time to enjoy!

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