Know your champagne: Your guide to understanding and enjoying your sparkling drink

Few beverages evoke joy and celebration quite like bubbly champagne. The light, sparkling drink has a place at every festive occasion and memorable event; it has even found its way into intimate moments and romance.

Although it's like a category on its own, champagne IS wine and carries just as much complexity, taste, and texture as its red and white wine counterparts. In fact, it can even deliver all five basic tastes — sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Its bright acidity makes you salivate and that's why it pairs well with every course but it is not an aperitif! 

Now that Singapore has its first dedicated champagne bar, Convivial Champagne Bar, we asked its owner and sommelier, Yeo Xi Yang to shed light on this happy drink in time for the festivities.

So, before you sip on your next sparkling, know your champagne to drink better and enjoy better!

The lure of champagne

So, really, what makes Champagne so special? For Yang, it is the "verve, energy and emotion" of champagne that made him fall deeply in love with it. "Champagne is such a joyful drink, frequently associated with celebration and occasions, and perfectly refreshing for our tropical climate!" he enthused.

Its association with celebration is said to date back to the Belle Époque era in Europe. During the late 1800s to early 1900s, it was enjoyed by the wealthy at events, cementing its status as a symbol of joy. Today, this image persists through mainstream media and culture, where celebratory moments often begin with the iconic pop of Champagne.

After the pandemic, Singapore — being a gastronomic hub — was primed and ready for its first dedicated Champagne bar. Enter Convivial Champagne Bar, a cosy setup near Boat Quay, founded by award-winning sommelier Yeo Xi Yang, offering a carefully curated selection of about 200 Champagne labels, including red, white, and orange wines, as well as artisanal cider.

Champagne 101

Champagne is wine that requires more work and processes. Instead of a singular fermentation, winemakers have to ferment it twice to develop the signature toasty and bready character, along with the fine effervescence and a creamy mouthfeel, as opposed to a soda-like carbonation.

After the first fermentation, all champagne begins as a clear white or rose wine, regardless of white or red grapes, known as Vin Clair. It then undergoes a second fermentation in the individual bottles, where the wine rests for months to interact with dead yeast or lees. 

Contrary to popular belief, Champagne shouldn't be served ice-cold, as over-chilling dulls its aromas and flavours. Instead, aim for 5-7°C for young Blanc de Blancs to fully enjoy the fresh and crisp notes or 7-10°C for older or barrel-fermented ones to take in the bold and rich flavours.

To fully appreciate your Champagne, serve it in a Champagne flute or a white wine glass, and engage your senses — sight, smell, taste, and touch — as you sip your way to bliss. The magic touch? Enjoy it with your nearest and dearest.

Choosing your champagne

The first step to choosing your Champagne is to understand the terms on the labels. You'll see French terms like Brut or Extra Brut which indicate the sweetness levels. Brut has less than 12g of sugar per litre, while Extra Brut has half of that. Blanc de Blancs tells you that this is a white wine from white grapes, typically Chardonnay, while Blanc de Noirs refers to white wine made from red grapes.

A Non-Vintage (NV) Champagne contains multiple years of harvest, creating a consistent taste profile across batches. Because the same quality and taste can be expected, most champagne houses call these wines the "heart and soul of their winery."

When you see Cuvee, it refers to one of two things. It can simply mean 'Edition' when producers release multiple editions of the Champagne each year or it can refer to the best-quality juice, specifically the first 2,050 litres pressed from 4,000 kilograms of grapes.

Tasting notes

A well-made champagne offers balance and complexity, delivering a symphony of flavours and textures. It features bright acidity with a refreshing salinity that invigorates the palate, complemented by toasty aromas of brioche and pastry from extended lees ageing.

The hallmark of quality lies in its fine effervescence — creamy, persistent bubbles that elevate the drinking experience. Its complexity can cover all sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and even umami flavours, making every sip intriguing. Above all, it should leave you eager for more!

Know the grapes and regions

The Champagne region is divided into four main sub-regions, each contributing distinct characteristics to the wines produced. Montagne de Reims is known for noble, structured wines dominated by Pinot Noir, offering elegance and complexity.

Vallee de la Marne offers robust fruit-forward wines with a spotlight on Pinot Meunier. Chardonnay is the star at Côte de Blancs, producing refined and elegant Blanc de Blancs. Move south to Côte de Bar, known for lesser-known grape varieties that produce riper and more structured wines due to its warmer climate.

Seven primary grape varieties are cultivated within the region, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier — the most widely used — as well as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, and Petit Meslier. A new addition, Voltis, was recently introduced but won't be market-ready for several years, according to Yang. 

Food pairing with champagne

When choosing a Champagne for pairing, focus on balancing the Champagne's acidity, effervescence, and flavour profile with the texture and richness of the food. For example, a fresh and crisp Blanc de Blancs cuts through the richness of fried foods like fried chicken (move over, chimaek!) or tempura.

While barrel-aged Champagnes with richer and more complex flavours will complement dishes like poached or grilled seafood in cream sauce, charred vegetables like brussel sprouts or kai lan, and it even goes well with sio bak (crispy pork belly).

Or just skip the hassle and head to Convivial for cold cuts, yummy starters like Ngoh Hiang (S$20++) and Crab Cakes (S$28++), and mains like Barramundi Fillet (S$32++), and let Yang and his team delight you with their Champagne pairing recommendations. 

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