A Guide to Champagne Tasting & Pairing

Do you have a bottle of champagne that you can’t wait to pop open and try, but not sure where to start? Here is everything you need to know regarding important tips to remember when tasting champagne, as well as some ideas on what to pair it with!

Tasting Etiquette

There are a few important factors, other than preparing your palette, to consider before popping your bubbly. The three most important factors include the following: environment, glasses, and temperature. Each factor contributes to a different aspect of your experience when it comes to tasting your champagne.

Environment

Plan ahead to make this occasion as special as it should be. The ideal tasting environment includes a room with nice ambient lighting, a comfortable temperature, and good ventilation. If a room is too hot or cold, not only will it distract you from appreciating the moment, but it can also affect the temperature of your champagne. You don’t want to have any strong smells in the tasting room, as this will misguide your sense of smell.

Glasses

Crystal glasses are an excellent choice for serving champagne because they create more bubbles thanks to the rough texture of the glass. Also, crystal glasses emanate a beautiful ringing sound when making a toast. The rim of the glass should be large enough in diameter to smell the wine’s aroma. The wider the bowl, the more aromas the glass will collect. There are four types of glasses that are best to serve champagne:

Tulips are hybrids between a flute, coupe, and white wine glass. Their structure includes a wider bowl shape, which ensures bubbles will properly rise while carrying the champagne’s aromas to the surface. This style of glass is best for collecting floral aromatics because of its structure, so it is best to drink with fruity, sparkling wines (prosecco, rosé, etc.).

Wide tulips collect more aged flavors, like biscuit and brioche. The best champagnes to drink in a wide tulip are fine vintage sparkling wines.

Flutes are the most common glass used for tasting champagne, but they actually don’t offer the best experience for champagne tasting. They tend to retain bubbles due to their narrow base. Nevertheless, their height allows for bubbles to accumulate and deliver a sharp effervescence. This glass serves bone-dry sparkling wines (brut, extra-brut, and brut nature) the best like Crémant or Cava.

The vintage coupe was a popular choice for tasting in the 1950s. They are quick to provide aeration as well as aroma development. Though full of elegance, they’re not the best choice for all bubbly as they cause bubbles to expire at a faster rate. This causes the champagne to taste softer and fruitier. The best wines to drink in a coupe are sweet sparkling wines. 

Temperature to Drink Champagne

Similar to how the temperature of a room can have an effect, the temperature of your champagne can make or break your tasting experience. Warm champagne creates an excess of foam and brings out the flavor of alcohol which can be overwhelming on your palate. Cold champagne buries the flavors that you’ve already prepped so hard to enjoy. Though each champagne is best served differently, a good temperature range to serve champagne is 46.4℉ to 50℉. After serving, you may want to place the bottle in a bucket, sleeve, or even back in the fridge to keep it at the right temperature.

Opening and Pouring Champagne

Now that your environment is polished, glasses are picked, and champagne is ready, let’s discuss how to open your bottle and pour into your glass correctly.

How to Open a Champagne Bottle

Opening a bottle of champagne is an art in itself. There’s numerous things to remember in order to keep the champagne intact:

1. Hold the bottle at a 45° angle and point in a safe direction.
2. Remove the foil.
3. Loosen the muselet by untwisting the wire on the side. It should take exactly six twists.
4. Press your thumb on top to prevent the cork from popping while removing the muselet.
5. Turn the bottle at the base and the cork will work its way upward.
6. Apply pressure to the cork to allow the cork to ease out gently – you don’t want to hear a pop! This will bruise the champagne.
7. Allow the champagne to rest before pouring so the champagne doesn’t foam.
8. Begin pouring and enjoy!

How to Fill Your Glass

Begin by holding your glass by its stem to prevent your champagne from being warmed up by your hand or fingers. Pour down the side of your glass to reduce build-up foam and the loss of bubbles. Note to only pour into the bottom half of your glass to allow for the champagne’s aromas to form in the top half to enhance your tasting experience.

Let’s Get Tasting!

What does tasting the champagne really mean? Learn how to use your senses to experience your champagne the right way.

Touch

You can evaluate the cork to determine more about the champagne. After opening, the cork should be slightly moist at its end. If the cork is dry, this could mean that the champagne was poorly stored. Keep in mind that good corks form back to their original shape after being removed from the bottle.

Sight

How does the appearance of your champagne look? Here are three things to keep in mind when inspecting your champagne:

1. Clarity: the clearer the champagne is, the younger it is.
2. Color: the more golden a champagne is, the more mature it is.
3. Bubbles: quick-rising bubbles means champagne is younger - taller glasses will cause bigger bubbles and colder champagne will cause more to form.

Taste

This is what you should look for when tasting your champagne:

• Acidity: is the champagne dry or fruity?
• Viscosity: is the texture light or heavy? - Younger champagnes are light while older are thicker and more syrupy.
• Palate notes: is the champagne floral, fruity, yeasty, etc.?
• Finish: how long do the flavors last?

Pairing Champagne With Food

The best part about champagne is it can be paired with almost anything! One rule to remember regardless of the wine you’re drinking is to choose something that’s as sweet as the food you’re eating. Here is the ultimate pairing guide from our champagne collection at He Wines She Dines!

Seafood

• Oysters are great with a Brut champagne, try it with our Banshee ‘Ten of Cups’ Brut!
• Lobster is a classic pairing with champagne, and can be paired with a few different kinds based on how the lobster is prepared. Our Sauvage Blanc de Blancs is a great recommendation for
• Shrimp is great with an extra sec or sec champagne. Try pairing it with our Medici Ermete for a blast of flavors!
• Fish can be paired differently hence the different flavors, but grilled fish would taste great with our Guy de Chassey Champagne Brut Rose. 

Meat

• Steak is best paired with Bruts. Try it with our Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut.
• Believe it or not, duck goes great with rose! Give our Gruet Savage Rose a try with your next meal.
• Chicken would be delicious paired with our JP. Chenet Blanc de Blancs Brut.

Charcuterie

• Cured meat can be tried with our Guy de Chassey Extra Brut.
• Cheese and champagne are the perfect pairing! Remember the rule: choose a wine that is at least as sweet as the food you’re eating. The best cheeses to pair champagne with are creamy, soft cheeses like:
  
  • Brie
  • Goat cheese
  • Ricotta
  • Halloumi
  • Camembert
  • Fruit is also a great pairing with your bubbly. Try drinking it with strawberries, raspberries, peaches, or apricots!

We hope this guide has been helpful! Now you’re ready to taste and pair champagne and show off your knowledge to all your friends and family. Subscribe to a box on our website or gift one to a friend!

Cheers!