Champagne for New Year's

Does it have to be Champagne?

Many people wonder why Champagne is the first choice on New Year's Eve, and not other styles such as Prosecco, Cava and Crémant. The answer is that you can enjoy these other styles instead of Champagne, but for dinner, Champagne is usually a better starting point. Champagne has higher quality requirements and therefore has more body and flavour to match the food. Champagne is also known for its high acidity, which cleanses the mouth, especially if the food is a little fatty. If, despite this, you want something other than Champagne, there are alternatives. Sparkling wines from Franciacorta and Trento also have high quality requirements. Within Cava, there are styles with higher quality such as Cava Reserva, Gran Reserva or de Paraje Calificado.

Champagne and sparkling wine for turkey

Many people serve turkey on New Year's Eve. For this, you should choose a slightly fuller Champagne or sparkling wine that can match the richness of the accompaniments such as stuffing and cream sauce. The dryness level should be adjusted to the sweetness of the side dishes. Brut is the standard dryness level for Champagne and is a style with relatively low sweetness. Sweet accompaniments such as stuffing with apples and prunes or Waldorf salad with grapes will break the sweetness of Brut Champagne and make it appear sour. Instead, use stuffing with bacon and mushrooms and skip the Waldorf salad, if you choose Brut. Dryness levels such as Extra Dry and Sec can tolerate more sweetness in the food.

If you're not going to have turkey

Sparkling wine is generally light in colour, which can be reflected in the food. Therefore, avoid or reduce the amount of dark accompaniments such as concentrated red wine sauces; opt for a light cream sauce instead.

Champagne and sparkling wine for appetizers

Starters are often milder, lighter and more delicate than main courses, which should be reflected in the choice of drink. Both Cava and Crémant can have these characteristics. Champagne can also offer higher acidity, which cleanses the mouth and whets the appetite before the main course. Light and delicate expressions of Champagne are often found in Blanc de Blancs, which are made exclusively from white grapes and mostly Chardonnay. It is unfortunate to start the meal with sweetness, as sweetness suppresses the appetite. This applies to both the food and the drink. Ideally, the dryness level should therefore be Brut, Extra Brut or Brut Nature for the starter.

Champagne and sparkling wine for dessert

For dessert, Champagne and sparkling wine with a dryness of Demi-sec or Doux are most suitable. These are the sweetest expressions of sparkling wine and Champagne, which means there is less risk of them appearing sour in relation to the dessert. Demi-sec is less sweet than Doux, so reserve this for desserts that are not of the sweetest kind.

For dessert, Champagne is not necessarily the best choice. Choose simple, fruity sparkling wines like Asti Spumante or sparkling wines like Moscato d’Asti for light, bright and simple desserts with touches of fruit and berries; Champagne for slightly fuller and more complex desserts.

See our selection of Champagne and sparkling wine

Happy New Year!