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Champagne Pairings That Elevate the Everyday

ByElaine Schoch

The Science of Champagne Pairings: Why Bubbles Love Fat and Salt

How many of you popped a bottle of Champagne for New Years? I totally did. After all, Champagne is the ultimate wine for celebrations. But now that the year is underway I want to invite you to explore Champagne’s ultimate talent – being one of the most food-friendly wines in the world. Let’s talk about how to pair it with food in ways that will make both the Champagne and the food taste better.

The combination of high acidity, effervescence and subtle sweetness makes Champagne uniquely versatile for pairing with food. Those bubbles act as a palate cleanser, cutting through rich, fatty foods with ease. The acidity brightens dishes and balances salt. And unlike many still wines that can overpower delicate food flavors or clash with bold ones, Champagne has a remarkable ability to complement everything from raw oysters to fried chicken and hamburgers.

California Champagne

Champagne Pairings - Beyond the Clichés

The pairing of Champagne with caviar and oysters has become so iconic it borders on cliché. But there’s science behind why these combinations work. Oysters and caviar share a quality that Champagne loves: salinity. The ocean’s minerality in a freshly shucked oyster mirrors the mineral notes found in many Champagnes. The wine’s acidity cuts through the oyster’s creamy texture, while the bubbles cleanse your palate between bites. With caviar, the salt intensifies the wine’s fruit notes and makes its mousse – the bubbles – feel even more luxurious.

But here’s the secret: it’s not about the luxury ingredients itself—it’s about salt, fat and texture. Salt heightens the flavors in Champagne while the fat in the food balances the acidity in the wine. Which means you can achieve similar magic with more accessible – and affordable – foods. A few favorites that work every time…and there’s no shame pairing Champagne with mac and cheese. It so works. judgement

  • Salted Popcorn
  • Potato Chips
  • Guacamole and Chips
  • Fried Foods (tempura, french fries, fried chicken, fried calamari, fish and chips)
  • Asian Dishes
  • Aged Parmesan or Comté Cheese
  • Smoked Salmon or Trout
  • Pork Belly or Bacon
  • Hamburgers (even better with cheese and bacon)
  • Mac and Cheese
  • Corn Dogs with Mustard
  • Truffle Dishes
  • Stuffed Mushrooms
  • Crispy Brussel Sprouts
  • Sushi and Sashimi
  • Soft Scrambled Eggs and Cheese Omelets
  • Buttery Pastries
  • Green Salads with Light Vinaigrette Dressing

Not all Bubbles are the Same

Not all bubbles are Champagne, which can only be produced in the Champagne region of France. You have Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy, Sekt from Germany and Sparkling Wine from the United States – to name a few. There is literally a whole world of sparkling wine to explore; nearly every wine-producing country crafts its own sparkling wines using different production methods and grapes. The good news? Many of these alternatives offer exceptional quality at a fraction of Champagne’s price, making it easy to enjoy your sparkling wine pairings more often.

Champagne: Produced in the Champagne region of France using pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay grapes. It is produced using the winemaking style called, Méthode Champenoise Traditionnelle or just the Traditional Method, which is a labor-intensive process. The unique terroir in Champagne, the time-intensive production method and strict legal requirements around growing and aging contribute to its higher price point. 

Crémant: Also produced in France, but not the Champagne region. This sparkling wine follows the Traditional Method of production but can vary with the grapes that are included.

Cava: Produced in Spain using the same Traditional Method in France, but from a blend of grapes, the main ones being Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada. Cava is similar in flavor to Champagne, dry with medium acidity and notes of bread and toast.

United States: Nearly all premium sparkling wines in the United States use the Traditional Method, but the grapes vary based on the winemakers preference and what grows locally in the region.  

Prosecco: Made in Veneto, Italy from the Glera grape (at least 85%) but other local and international varieties can also be used. Prosecco uses the more simplified method called the Charmat Method of production, also known as tank fermented. Prosecco wines have medium acidity with flavors of green apple and melon. These wines typically have a little more residual sugar than Champagne and Cava, making them a sweeter option if that’s your preference.

German Sekt: The majority of German Sekt is produced using the tank method, look for those that use Riesling grapes from Germany.

What to Know When it Comes to Sweetness

Most bubble lovers will be familiar with Brut sparkling wines, which is a drier sparkling wine and represents the industry standard for the level of sweetness in the wine. For the pairings in this article, I recommend sticking with Brut (dry), Extra Brut (very dry) or bottles labeled – Brut Nature or Brut Sauvage, which has zero sugar added. Sweeter sparkling’s – which won’t work as well with the pairings noted here – are labeled Extra Dry & Extra Sec (off dry) Sec (slightly sweet), Demi-sec (sweet) and Doux (very sweet).

Wine 101: Traditional Method vs. Tank Fermentation

In the Traditional Method, winemakers add yeast and sugar to already-fermented wine inside the bottle, which creates a second fermentation that produces the bubbles and develops those signature bread-like, toasty flavors over time. After aging for at least 15 months (or three years for vintage Champagne), the leftover yeast is carefully collected at the bottle’s neck, frozen and popped out, then the bottle is topped off and sealed.

Unlike the Traditional Method, the second fermentation of Prosecco – where the bubbles are created – and the addition of the dosage takes place in a stainless-steel tank before the wine is bottled. This is less expensive to produce and requires less time for aging.