World Champagne Day has rolled around again, and a panel of sommeliers and chefs from London and New York has shared the bottles they actually open when the moment matters — from Christmas feasts to a Tuesday night win.
For Christmas, depth is the brief. Honey Spencer, sommelier and co-founder of London restaurants Sune and the forthcoming The Poet, goes for Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut Tradition, rich enough to stand up to a festive duck. Michele Orbolato of the Thesleff Group backs something with even more heft: Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 2006, a Pinot Noir-only champagne. Beata Parzych, head sommelier at New York's Baccarat Hotel, offers a fresher alternative in Vilmart & Cie Cœur de Cuvée 2016 — barrel-aged, with brioche, white peach and spice, and happy alongside poultry, lobster or pasta.
New Year's Eve is about theatre. Sandia Chang, co-founder of two-Michelin-starred Kitchen Table, says forget modest bottles and think magnums — you'll need the volume past midnight. Her pick: Olivier Horiot's Metisse, a lively Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc blend. For a more precise, mineral style, Parzych suggests Agrapart Minéral Grand Cru Extra Brut, a chalky Blanc de Blancs from Avize that pairs beautifully with caviar or oysters.
Champagne shouldn't wait for a big occasion. Katy Keating of importer Flint Wines calls Paul Bara NV Brut Réserve "the workhorse" — a reliable, crisp bottle for housewarmings or Sunday mornings in the garden. Chang's easy weeknight choice is Jean-Marc Sélèque Solessence, a balanced blend of all three champagne grapes.
Dinner parties demand a bottle that works across courses. Parzych recommends Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, built on more than 50 percent reserve wines for nutty, creamy richness that handles sauces and aged cheeses yet stays fresh with seafood. For wine-nerd guests, Spencer pours Étienne Calsac Les Revenants Extra Brut, an unusual blend of Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier and Arbane.
Brunch calls for rosé. Billecart-Salmon Rosé, with its wild strawberry and citrus notes, is Parzych's match for eggs Benedict and smoked salmon. Jun Tanaka, chef-patron of Michelin-starred The Ninth in London, favours Lanson Le Rosé Création, which he says works with everything from scrambled eggs to French toast with berries.
For anniversaries, Chang suggests something more personal: track down a vintage from the year you met, married or bought your home. Her own is Françoise Bedel et Fils Comme Autrefois 2007, a mostly Pinot Meunier wine from her wedding year.
The takeaway for travellers: any decent champagne bar or restaurant worth its salt will stock at least a few of these names, and knowing which style suits which moment — rich and structured for feasts, mineral and precise for shellfish, rosé for brunch — turns a good bottle into the right one.
First published by Elite Traveler.
