How to elevate the festive season with the best food and Champagne pairings?

Practical recommendations to guide your customers in the art of festive pairings.

As the end-of-year celebrations approach, the role of the wine merchant or sommelier becomes essential in helping customers choose the ideal Champagne. Whether for a refined aperitif, a gourmet meal or a delicious dessert, every moment deserves a tailored recommendation to enhance the occasion and create an unforgettable experience. Here are our tips for selecting the perfect Champagne at each stage of the meal and offering food and Champagne pairings that will impress.

Aperitif pairings: focus on classic elegance

To start the festivities, favour classicism and freshness. A non-vintage Brut or Extra Brut will delight most guests, while a vintage Champagne will add a touch of exclusivity to mark the occasion. Serve it at 10–12°C to reveal its full aromatic palette, rather than the usual 8–10°C. These styles pair perfectly with a variety of appetisers, from seafood small bites to savoury pastries.

Festive starters: the art of essential pairings

To enhance oysters, suggest a Blanc de blancs Champagne. Its minerality and finesse harmonise ideally with the oyster’s briny character. For foie gras, guide your customers towards a Brut or Extra Dry Champagne dominated by Meunier: its roundness and fruity notes will balance the richness of the dish, while the effervescence brings a sensation of lightness.

Main courses: structure and intensity

To pair with festive meats such as turkey or stuffed capon, Blanc de Noirs Champagne is the ideal partner. Its structure and red fruit aromas will complement the meat and its stuffing, even a cranberry sauce. This Champagne style provides the power needed to support the dish’s flavours without overshadowing their subtlety.

Cheese: dare to pair with Champagne

Too often associated with red wine, the cheese board shines when served with Champagne, especially vintage. Suggest pairings with truffled Brie de Meaux, aged Comté or Saint-Nectaire: Champagne’s aromatic complexity will highlight the richness and texture of the cheeses.

Cheese: dare to pair with Champagne

To end the meal beautifully, guide your customers towards a demi-sec Champagne that will pair wonderfully with an exotic fruit ice-cream Christmas log. The wine’s sweetness matches that of the dessert, while brioche or toasted bread notes from ageing on lees complement the fruity flavours. For a red fruit dessert, such as a raspberry-pistachio Christmas log, a Rosé Brut Champagne (dosage above 8g) is ideal: its red fruit notes and colour echo the dessert’s indulgence.

Finally, share tasting tips with your customers, such as the four-step tasting method, so they can fully enjoy every nuance of their Champagne. To go further, invite them to discover original pairings with traditional Christmas dishes from around the world, and suggest consulting educational sheets to deepen their experience.

As a wine merchant or sommelier, your expertise offers far more than simple advice.