Some of us are already busy in the kitchen preparing dishes for the delicious meals to come. Others prefer to spend time in the quiet of their wine cellar, searching for wines and champagnes to pair with the menu, looking for an empty corner for the latest wine purchase, or wondering whether to age the new starters or uncork them for the next festivities. And secretly, everyone from the kitchen to the cellar is preoccupied with the same nagging question:

How can we best prepare ourselves for a stress-free Christmas?

Well, don't worry, we're here to help! If you're planning a merry Christmas with champagne, with wonderful food and wine pairings, this checklist will help you organize the days ahead without forgetting the most important details for sparkling merrymaking.

7 days before a champagne Christmas: Planning the menu and pairings

Have you planned your meals and pairings?

Start by making a list of all the dishes you plan to serve. Once you have the menu down on paper, make a note of the wines and champagnes you've already selected to be served, and assign each wine to a particular dish. If you don't yet have a pairing idea for a dish, you can simply note the style of wine you'd like to match. This list will form the basis of your organization over the next few days. It will help you identify and fill in the blanks necessary for a successful menu and wine service.

Hosting more wine lovers than one bottle can serve?

Consider stocking a second bottle of the same champagne, or choose a magnum or other large format depending on the number of guests. To find out more about the advantages of large formats, read our next article: Large bottles for maximum champagne pleasure: magnums, jeroboams and Methuselahs for memorable parties and celebrations...

Still looking for a recommendation for a special champagne that everyone will love?

Here are five of our latest limited-edition prestige cuvées that will make your celebrations even more special:

• Champagne Krug Grande Cuvée 170th Edition Echoes
• Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Nature 2015 Starck
• Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Nature Rosé 2015 Starck
• Champagne Dom Perignon Vintage 2010 Lady Gaga Limited Edition
• Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve Collector's Edition

Champagne purchases for missing pairings:

Using your checklist, you should start your last-minute shopping as soon as possible to complete the wine and champagne pairings on your party menu. Check the latest shipping dates in our online store to have your champagne delivered straight to your door.

Do you have enough champagne glasses?

A standing aperitif with lots of guests can quickly turn into chaos when everyone places their glass next to someone else's and forgets where theirs is. If you don't have many glasses to replace them, it's a good idea to use glass markers to make sure everyone finds their glass when it's time to sit down at the table. Use a non-permanent glass marker pen to discreetly add your guests' names or initials to the stems of their champagne glasses, or tie bows of different colors to your glasses.

2 days to Christmas with champagne

With just a few days to go before the festive season, chaos is slowly but surely giving way to the pleasant feeling of being prepared for a sparkling Christmas. With enough wine, champagne and glasses, there are only two things left to prepare in advance.

Wash the wine and champagne glasses:

A clean microfiber cloth will remove small lime stains and dust particles from your wine glasses. Shine stemware and store it, preferably upside down, in a dust-free place until you're ready to use it.

Organize your wine-serving utensils:

Depending on the wines and champagnes you choose, a bottle opener and decanter may be necessary, and a serving tray can be useful for discarding corks and other bottle parts elegantly. The great thing about champagne is that you don't need any special tools to open a bottle (unless you want to saber your bottle, of course). A stylish champagne cooler can, however, be both a decorative and practical way of keeping your opened bottles at the right serving temperature.

Champagne for Christmas Day

Christmas is here, and a great time of joy and relaxation is just around the corner! Most likely, all the ingredients of the Christmas menu have been transformed into delicious preparations that await your guests. You can pin your checklist to the fridge so you don't lose sight of your delicious plans during a day of culinary delights.

Is your champagne chilled?

If you don't have a dedicated wine fridge, the best time to slip your bottles into your fridge is in the morning. If the bottles have been left at room temperature, they will need around four hours to reach serving temperature. The least stressful option is to prepare the bottles early in the day and forget about them until it's time to serve.

Are wine glasses placed where you want to serve your bottles?

The arrangement of glasses at the table is almost natural. However, it's easy to forget to place glasses in other places where we'll need them, for example, the place designated for the aperitif where we want to welcome guests. Simply place a tray of glasses in a corner of your kitchen or living room, on the terrace during a long sit-down meal, or in a comfortable sitting area with armchairs for philosophical discussions after a long festive meal. This will give you more time to devote to your guests.

Have you thought about decanting your champagne?

While we all love the precious bubbles that have taken so long to develop inside the bottle and don't want them to dissipate, some champagnes show extra depth and complexity when decanted. Oxidative champagnes with a strong vinous character can be aerated for around 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Unlike the large decanters used for bold red wines, champagne decanters should be narrow to limit surface area. Bottles should be carefully decanted to preserve maximum effervescence.

What is the right serving temperature for champagne?

A common mistake to avoid is serving champagne so cold that delicate aromas are compromised. That said, remember to remove your bottles from the fridge and place them in a wine cooler in plenty of time. While non-vintage champagne is best served at 8 or 10°C, other styles benefit from slightly higher temperatures. Champagne rosé d'assemblage délicat shines at around 10°C, while rosé de saignée corsé shows more abundance at around 12°C, as do bold vintage champagnes. Old vintage champagnes can be enjoyed at 12-14°C to reveal their full aromatic depth, spice and complexity.

Champagne, please: time to fill the glasses!

Once the first guests have arrived, it's time to uncork the first bottle. Bear in mind that the serving temperature in the glass rises rapidly after the flute has been served, so it's best to top up regularly rather than serving a large glass straight away. Add a bottle stopper to avoid losing the bubbles, and store opened bottles in your cooler to keep them handy throughout the evening.

After all those long days of Christmas preparations, it's now time to enjoy the festive pleasures. Enjoy all the unexpected surprises that the festive days can bring. And never forget that a bottle of champagne helps to overcome any challenge or obstacle.

Happy holidays to you and yours!