Chandon's Guide To Holiday Wine Pairings

Pairing wine and food for the holidays seems easy at first glance. Red wine with turkey, white wine with oysters, sparkling wine for making toasts. But wait...

Did you know that the wrong red wine can produce a metallic taste when paired with white turkey meat? Or that some white wines can make oysters taste bitter and briny?

To help you choose the most appropriate wines for your entertaining menus, we've put together a simple but reliable guide to holiday wine pairings. As always, some basic rules apply:

• Salty foods taste better with brut-style wines such as Chandon Brut Classic and etoile Brut.
• Dishes like foie gras or creamy desserts are easily overpowered by bold red wines. Sparkling wines from our etoile tier and rosés are often better choices.
• Wines with a higher level of acidity, like our Chandon Reserve Pinot Noir Brut, are well suited for foods accompanied by rich sauces.
• Rich shellfish delicacies like raw oysters call for a sparkling wine with a crisp yet creamy texture like etoile Brut.
• Wines like Pinot Noir bring out the flavors in foods that are high in protein and fat, such as duck or lamb.

The complexity and individuality of Chandon wines, both sparkling and still, make them particularly well suited to serve with holiday foods. This guide will help you get to know the varieties that we produce, and help you plan your entertaining menus around them. Bon appétit!

Sparkling Wines

Still Wines