After the heavy discounting of Champagne in British supermarkets comes even more good news, scientists from Reading University have discovered that a couple of glasses of Champagne a day are good for your heart and blood circulation (I presume that there was no shortage of volunteers for this study) – another good reason to plan a Champagne party for Christmas or the New Year!
Having organised many events for a well-known Champagne brand in the past, I know from experience that planning a successful and fun Champagne party can be stressful, so here are a few practical tips:
Quantity
If you are serving only Champagne, allow about half a bottle of Champagne per person for a 2 to 3 hours reception. For example, for 20 guests, you will need 10 bottles. Reduce the quantity if you are planning to serve others wines or cocktails. A 75cl bottle contains about 6 glasses. A magnum of Champagne is equivalent to 2 bottles (12 glasses), a Jeroboam to 4 bottles (24 glasses).
Don’t forget to offer a selection of interesting soft drinks as well – non-alcoholic cocktails and sparkling fruit juices in beautiful coloured glasses will give extra sparkle to your party.
Magnums are the ideal containers for Champagne. They are well worth the extra cost as they allow Champagne to age perfectly. Visually, they add a special touch to any celebration. Just be extra careful when opening and serving them.
Champagne Styles & Food Matching
Champagne comes in many different styles and is a great partner for food, so be imaginative and experiment to find your favourites ones.
Brut Non Vintage Champagnes are the most widely available from supermarkets and wine merchants – there are some great deals available at the moment.
Extra Brut or Brut Nature Champagnes are well worth looking for as they contain zero dosage of sugar. Many Champagne houses have invested in new launches in this category and Extra Brut is becoming increasingly fashionable. Ideal as an aperitif and for those guests watching their sugar intake. Expect to pay more than for Brut and it is a little bit more difficult to find.
Blanc de Blancs Champagnes are made only from the white grape Chardonnay. Lighter in style, they are perfect with seafood and fish and also served as an aperitif. My favourites food matching with Blanc de Blancs would be smoked salmon blinis, scallops and for a touch of retro food, mini prawns vols au vent.
Blanc de Noirs Champagnes are made only from the red grapes Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier and have more body and structure. Try matching them to mini beef Yorkshire puddings.
Rosé (pink) Champagnes add as touch of elegance to any party and are the most versatile when it comes to food matching. Their colour can vary from just a hint of pink to a deep ruby hue and their taste from delicate to full-bodied.
Demi-Sec are sweeter Champagnes. Although less widely available, they are the perfect match for sweet petits-fours and cakes. Try serving them with trendy mini macaroons and traditional marzipans for a great food finish to your party. If you have a sweet tooth, Demi-Sec is the right choice for you.
If your budget will allow it, Vintage Champagnes are a great investment as Champagne Houses only produce Vintage Cuvées in the best years.They also have more complexity than Non-Vintage Champagnes.
Keeping Cost Down
Overall, the best way to save when buying Champagne is to buy in bulk. You should get a good discount if you buy 6 bottles or more. If you buy a little more than necessary, you can always keep it in a cool dark place (an unheated cupboard for example) . It will continue to improve if stored in the right conditions. Just avoid extreme temperatures and vibrations. Vintage Champagne can age for several years.
Serving Champagne
Chilling
Chill your Champagne bottles in advance – at least a couple of hours before the start of the party. Keep the beautiful ice buckets to display on your party table, for chilling several bottles, simply use large plastic containers filled with ice and cold water.
Glasses
Choosing beautiful Champagne glasses can be a great way to add your own style to your party. It is true that flutes are the best glasses for serving Champagne as they allow the bubbles to rise to the surface of the glass.
I have to confess a certain nostalgia for Champagne saucers or coupes as they are called in French. Elegant and reminiscent of the 1930’s, they have made a come-back recently and I just love them. Perhaps, they never went away completely as in French the words “prendre une coupe de Champagne” (to have a glass of Champagne) are still used.
Despite the current recession, I have a feeling that our taste for Champagne never went away either…
Sophie's Taste 