How to choose the right champagne for a wedding (Guide)
A wedding is, of course, one of the most beautiful days of our lives. We want it to be magical, festive, and it's essential to please our guests. Every detail counts and is prepared with meticulous care to ensure that everything is perfect. The choice of drinks is more than essential in wedding planning. The selection of drinks should be based on your preferences, of course, but also in harmony with the proposed meal.
Brut, Extra-Brut, Zero dosage, how to have a successful wedding with the right champagne? We offer you a little guide that will help you find the right champagne and avoid any missteps with champagne.
In this article, you will discover our tips for preparing the perfect wedding with champagne:
- Choosing your champagne based on the wedding menu
- Full meal with champagne: choosing the right champagne for the dishes
- And for cheese, which champagne?
- Champagne: how much to order for a successful wedding?
- Planning to choose the right champagne for your wedding
Choosing your champagne based on the wedding menu
Obviously, the key to having a successful wedding with the right champagne is the pairing of dishes and champagne. Therefore, you must absolutely create your menu before choosing your champagne. You must have determined what you will be serving to choose your champagne.
On this exceptional day, you surely want to serve exceptional champagnes. Of course, the honored guest for the aperitif is brut champagne or extra brut champagne. Naturally, if you serve champagne for the aperitif, avoid traditional snacks like peanuts and olives, which can alter the taste of the champagne.
On the other hand, verrines and good charcuterie will be in the spotlight. Gougères, slices of raw ham, shrimp, or tarama—Blanc de Noirs will complement these treats.
As for the main courses, you'll want to pair the flavors of De Lozey champagnes with the richness of your dishes. If you're not sure, we suggest checking out our article on food pairings, the guide to the right balance. This will help you avoid mistakes, especially between brut champagne and demi-sec champagne.
For dessert, know that chocolate pairs perfectly with brut champagne, like our Brut Tradition. If your dessert is fruity, you can serve it with a Blanc de Noirs, which is 100% Pinot Noir with notes of red fruits. You can also serve our Rosé de Saignée, one of the remarkable champagnes from our De Lozey house.
Discover our Extra Brut
Designed for gastronomy, this original and sophisticated cuvée surprises with its power and delicacy. Incredibly refreshing, this Extra Brut champagne reveals generous flavors.
However, if you've chosen to serve a very sweet dessert to your guests, sweet champagne should be avoided. It's sweeter and can quickly overwhelm your guests with too much sugar. In this case, between brut champagne and demi-sec champagne, you can opt for demi-sec.
Full meal with champagne: choosing the right champagne for the dishes
You've chosen to have your entire wedding meal with champagne? That's perfect; many of your guests will be delighted. Champagne enthusiasts will certainly appreciate your choice. As for De Lozey, our range of champagne is extensive. Each dish deserves its champagne. Just as you serve different wines based on the dishes, we invite you to pair your wedding dishes with the right champagne.
Therefore, it's important that you know a bit about the grape varieties used in our wines. We will share the secrets of the grape varieties at Maison De Lozey with you. Whether it's 100% Chardonnay, 100% Pinot Noir, or blends of the two, each of our champagnes pairs perfectly with refined dishes.
If we stick to the classics of gastronomy, foie gras pairs well with a full-bodied, somewhat acidic champagne. Champagnes made from Chardonnay are perfect. So, our Brut Tradition or Blanc de Blancs will be perfect. The latter also goes well with scallops, which you can serve as an appetizer, as well as with white meats.
Opt for delicate and subtle preparations, with perhaps some dishes featuring zesty touches. If the fish dishes have alliances with exotic fruits, our extra brut Blanc de Noirs will be ideal. So, don't forget to inquire about the sauces and accompaniments—they will have a significant impact on the harmony of the champagnes.
As for stronger meats, you should definitely turn to more robust champagnes. Our extra brut Blanc de Noirs fits this profile. You can serve it with game or roasted meat. It could also pair well with duck breast.
For dessert, you can choose to serve all the champagnes according to your dessert. However, keep in mind that sweet champagne or dry champagne pairs well with sweet desserts. In contrast, desserts with acidic notes go well with demi-sec or sweet champagnes. Fruit-based desserts will pair nicely with our Rosé de Saignée champagne.
Discover our Rosé de Saignée
Sensual, our rosé surprises with its color and dazzles with its intense taste. Its assertive character will delight connoisseurs and astonish newcomers.
Our final piece of advice: before choosing your champagne, master your menu perfectly. You can always taste several types of champagne later. Also, don't forget that our vintages have their own identity. Some of them are even classified as exceptional vintages or very great vintages. To help you recognize them, you can read our article, "Champagne: What Is the Best Year?"
And for cheese, which champagne is the right choice?
You've reached the end of the meal. Before dessert comes the cheese platter. Here again, it's important to make the right pairings. You need to have a successful marriage from start to finish. So, is brut champagne or demi-sec champagne right for cheese?
- With brut champagne: soft cheeses are the best match for brut champagne. So, prepare a platter with soft cheeses, but also with Comté or Cantal or a good Camembert.
- With demi-sec champagne: demi-sec pairs better with sheep's milk cheeses or blue cheese.
- With Blanc de Blancs champagne, goat cheeses are preferred. Our Blanc de Blancs under wood goes well with Cantal and Comté.
- With rosé champagne: rosé champagne and its fruity notes go well with stronger cheeses. It pairs nicely with Maroilles or Pont-l’Évêque.
If you want more detailed advice on pairing champagne and cheese, we invite you to continue with our guide: "Which Champagne for Which Cheese?"
Champagne: how much to order for a successful wedding?
No one wants to run out of champagne on this exceptional day, but you also don't want to exceed your budget. Therefore, it's essential to plan the right quantities. Before counting the number of flutes per guest, ask yourself the right question. When will I serve champagne? During the aperitif, during the meal, or at dessert?
Have you decided to serve champagne only for the aperitif? If you don't plan to serve champagne for the rest of the meal, then you should count 1 bottle for every 4 people at the cocktail hour. Therefore, we recommend choosing our Brut Tradition or our Blanc de Blancs. These two brut champagnes are the highlights of our De Lozey house. To kick off this unforgettable moment in style, make an impression with a 3-liter Jeroboam bottle of Brut Tradition.
When serving champagne during the meal, bottles are consumed more sparingly. Therefore, you can count on one bottle of champagne for every 6 people. If you also want to serve traditional wine, count one bottle for every 7-8 people. For the meal, you can go for more typical champagnes like our Cuvée du Dimanche or our extra brut Blanc de Noirs. The latter is more robust and was originally designed for gastronomy.
Discover our Cuvée du Dimanche
A very personal champagne, a memory of Sunday meals. A blend of all parcels and grape varieties, with the elegance and fine bubbles that characterize Maison De Lozey.
Finally, if you're reserving champagne for dessert, plan for 1 bottle for every 6 guests, or even 5. Traditionally, champagne is highly anticipated to celebrate the end of the meal. This is the moment to choose our Rosé de Saignée champagne. Its fruity notes and sweet flavors will delight many of your guests. If you're serving a not-so-sweet dessert, why not end on a high note with the Cuvée des Gentlemen, one of the prestige champagnes of Maison De Lozey. An extra brut champagne to finish on an exceptional note.
So, brut champagne or demi-sec champagne for the major moments of your wedding? Also, consider choosing our champagnes in magnum format. It adds even more solemnity to this celebration. Moreover, here are a few reasons why magnum is a smart choice for celebrating an event.
Planning to choose the right champagne for your wedding
Having a successful wedding with the right champagne requires a bit of planning. Like all the other essentials of a wedding, such as flowers, invitations, and wedding favors, finding the right champagne is essential. Don't wait until the last minute. Take the time to research and even taste your champagne.
We know that weddings are often planned a year in advance. So, why not take advantage of a long weekend or your holidays to come to Champagne? Of course, you are welcome to visit us to discover Maison De Lozey. We would be delighted to give you a tour of the estate and let you taste our champagne ranges and vintages. While waiting to welcome you to Celles-sur-Ource, we invite you to read our presentation of Maison De Lozey.
In addition to coming to discover our champagnes at Maison De Lozey, you can try out the harmonies with the dishes of the restaurateurs who are loyal to us. In Guérande, at "La Tête de l'Art," you can taste one of our champagnes. The chef delicately speaks about our Brut Tradition, our cuvée that he has chosen to be his house champagne. You will appreciate the harmony between fine cuisine and De Lozey champagne.
Discover our Brut Tradition
Delightfully fruity, energetic, refreshing, and easy to enjoy, it's the essential champagne, the sure bet. Never will a classic champagne titillate your taste buds like this.
Between Meaux and Disney, in St-Germain sur Morin, you can experience the harmony between our champagnes and gastronomy at "A Gouyette." In this establishment as well, the restaurateur is in love with our champagne.
We could talk for hours about our champagnes, which we craft with care and tradition. However, nothing beats a tasting. Of course, there is good tasting that will allow you to perceive all the aromas of our brut or demi-sec champagnes. But tasting them in a real dining situation is even better. It's during a meal that you can truly appreciate their finesse or delicacy. After all, who better than us can tell you about our champagnes? Feel free to contact us for advice.
So, we've given you some tips to have a successful wedding with the right De Lozey champagne. Don't forget to order your champagne in advance so that it can recover from transportation.
If you need more information, you can read other articles on good pairings. For example, our article "Saint Valentine: 4 Ideas for Pairing Champagne with Refined Dishes." You can also find the right champagne by consulting our article, "Champagne: Our Tips for a Successful Christmas Eve."