Champagne from aperitif to dessert

Champagne and aperitif

This is essentially when a bottle of champagne is opened. It's the most festive way to welcome your guests and whet their appetites. You can opt for a traditional brut champagne, or for a more elegant cuvée, a non-vintage blanc de blanc. The latter is made from white grapes, mainly Chardonnay or, much more rarely, forgotten varieties such as Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier and Arbane. The great finesse so characteristic of blanc de blancs champagnes makes them the ideal aperitif companion. It will undoubtedly awaken your taste buds for what's to come.

Champagne for starters

Once you've finished the mise en bouche, you'll start your meal with a starter. To accompany a fine foie gras, for example, you'll want a sweet champagne, known as demi-sec. This champagne is sweeter than classic champagne. It contains between 32 and 50 grams of sugar per liter. It will enhance the flavors of your foie gras.

If you choose seafood as your starter, it's best to continue with the blanc de blanc champagne that has accompanied you since your arrival, or, a more daring choice, to discover an Extra-Brut champagne. Unlike demi-sec champagne, Extra-Brut champagne has a low sugar content (less than 6 grams of sugar per liter), and will enhance the iodized flavors of your seafood.

Champagne during the meal

Now it's time for the main course: there are several options depending on the menu. Here are our tips from passionate gourmets:

• if you're serving poultry, you can enjoy a blanc de noirs champagne. These are champagnes made from black grapes. More powerful, they go wonderfully well with this type of dish.
• with sushi: this culinary traveler's staple goes very well with a blanc de blanc champagne, preferably with a low dosage. Just be sure to limit the use of soy sauce and wasabi, which are very powerful.
• with fish (cooked and baked): once again, we find Blanc de Blanc Champagne. It's worth noting that some fine brut champagnes go very well with the tender flesh of fish.

Champagne and dessert

The end of the meal has arrived, and it's a delight for the gourmands around the table. It's not so easy to sublimate your dessert with champagne, but you can still make happy associations.

Does your heart go out to chocolate desserts? Don't hesitate, enjoy it with a demi-sec champagne. As mentioned above, this is the sweetest type of champagne.

As for lovers of desserts based on red fruits, we invite you to accompany them with rosé champagne. It's a perfect match. In fact, many cocktails are based on this combination of flavors.

In short, your choice of menu will determine the type of champagne you enjoy. And, as we've shown, it's perfectly possible to make your meal all champagne! Now it's up to you to try it, and above all, to taste it... Bon appétit!