Tips on Styles of Champagne for Valentine’s Day

How to choose the correct style of Champagne to elevate your Valentine’s Day – whether you are planning a romantic evening with your partner, a celebration with your family, or a night with your ‘galentines’!

Here are some useful tips to help you select the right style for each occasion from the Champagne Bureau UK*.

Vintage Champagne

The most suitable companion for exceptional occasions, intimate gatherings and memorable and magical moments in life. A Vintage Champagne is made from grapes collected from a single harvest and therefore does not contain any reserve wines. A producer will decide to make a vintage wine, when the harvest has been outstanding in a particular year. Vintage Champagnes are usually matured for four to ten years and exhibit nutty and toasted aromas, as well as honey and stewed fruits. These wines are known for being full of character which makes them a wonderful addition to any stage of your celebration.

Rosé Champagne

With its pinkish hue, a Rosé Champagne has more colour and body than regular Champagne. It is made either by macerating black grapes or by blending with red Champagne wine. Not only does Rosé Champagne have an ‘instagrammable’ appeal but it also offers lively fruit aromas that blend perfectly with the richer types of foods such as lobster and poultry.

Champagne Sec or Demi-Sec

It is hard not to include dessert in a Valentine’s Day meal. If you choose a sweeter Champagne, i.e. sec or demi-sec, then it will pair wonderfully with creamy or fruit-based desserts and puddings, as well as sweet pastries (but avoid pairing it with chocolate desserts). A Champagne Sec is a Champagne containing between 17 and 32 grams of sugar per litre. A Champagne Demi-Sec contains between 32 and 50 grams of sugar per litre.

Non-Vintage Champagne Brut

By nature, non-vintage Champagne pairs with everything, also making it an excellent option for your Valentine’s Day festivities. It is the most common Champagne but if you want more specific pairing advice in a restaurant, the sommelier will always be at hand to advise you accordingly.

If you go somewhere for pre-dinner drinks, Champagne is the perfect choice to kick off the evening. The general tendency is to opt for a Champagne that is not too vinous before dinner, with no particular dominant aromas. Therefore, a non-vintage Brut or a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs would be a great selection. You can also enjoy these styles with lightly salted crackers, nuts, green olives or even bite-sized pieces of Gruyère cheese.

 

*Champagne Bureau UK is the representation of the Comité Champagne in the UK, a trade association representing Champagne Growers and Houses.