Champagne Hampers Worthy of Celebration

Trying to purchase Christmas gifts with sentiment but also those that will be of use can be difficult. As such, hampers can be an excellent option. Particularly as you can easily personalise them according to your friends and families’ tastes and personalities. With Champagne being the ultimate drink of choice for the festive season, the Champagne Bureau UK* is highlighting the best items to include in your hampers alongside various Champagne styles.

Champagne Demi-Sec is an excellent option for your sweeter hampers. Think macarons as well as biscuits incorporating fruits such as raspberries and apricots. Another lovely addition would be a fruit jam. These wines are rounder and more indulgent, providing fruity notes that are very sweet on the palate, making them especially well-suited to desserts.

Champagne Blanc de Blancs, made exclusively from white grape varieties, offer a more refreshing palate with citrus aromas and minerality. We would suggest including lemon shortbreads which will complement the white flower and citrus notes of these Champagnes. Additionally, for the savoury aspect of the hamper, you could include some luxury lightly salted crisp or crackers and green olives, as well as bite size pieces of Gruyère cheese,

Champagne Blanc de Noirs, made exclusively from dark grapes, have what is known as “vinosity” meaning they have a fuller body with aromas of red berries. As such, we would recommend including soft and nutty cheeses such as Comté and nuts such as macadamia. Cheese biscuits that incorporate rosemary are another lovely addition, as well as dried fruits such as raisins and cranberries.

Champagne Rosé is made either by macerating black grapes or by blending with red Champagne wine. This gives it a flamboyant joyfulness and aromas around notes of freshness (citrus fruits and wild strawberries) or complex wild berry fruit notes. To compliment these aromas, we would include jars of strawberry jams, berry teas and raspberry based cakes. Keep it fruity!

Champagne Vintages are prestigious wines produced from grapes of a single harvest and can be of any style which is dictated by the winemaker. To mark a Vintage’s characteristics, the wine will spend at least 36 months ageing in the cellar and often much longer. In a Vintage Champagne hamper, we would opt to include some beautiful gingerbread biscuits to complement the often-pronounced aromas of dried fruit, gingerbread and cocoa that can be found in these exceptional wines. Fish and seafood are a good pairing for Vintage Champagne so caviar could also be a good option to include, as well as cheese and smoked meats.

*The Champagne Bureau UK is the trade association of Comité Champagne in the UK, representing houses and growers in Champagne.

Photo credit: Image belongs to Comité Champagne and Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use it.