Organizing a Champagne tasting at home? Here's what you'll need.
Looking for something fun and unique to do with housemates, family, or friends? Organize a Champagne tasting at home! We'll tell you everything you need to know to organize a successful tasting.
1. Champagne
The star of the day or evening, of course. That's what it's all about. It's important to consider who you're tasting with and the occasion. Are they connoisseurs or beginners? Is it a casual gathering with friends, for example, or a more professional and serious atmosphere? Choose your bottles based on that. Random bottles are fine, but a theme makes it a bit more interesting. Think about grape varieties and blends, vintages, regions, dosages, and production methods.
Set of monovarietals:
For example, are you selecting based on grape varieties? You could use multiple varieties, but a selection of single-varietal Champagnes (Champagnes made from a single grape variety) is also a good option. This can be further refined, for example, by choosing from a single region or a single vintage. Imagine a tasting with only vintage 2002 Pinot Noir Champagnes from the Montagne de Reims with an extra-brut dosage. You can get as wild as you like. The more specific you are, the harder it will be to find bottles. However, this way, the reasons for the differences and similarities are easier to pinpoint.
2. Glasses
The right glass makes all the difference. Wide or narrow, tall or short. For a serious tasting, opt for glasses with a wide bowl and avoid the familiar coupe glasses. They do absolutely nothing for the Champagne (except for looking festive). Professionals often use regular wine glasses for Champagne tasting. While this is certainly possible, it will cause the Champagne in the glass to fizz less.
We personally prefer a tulip-shaped glass with a wide bowl, allowing for easy swirling and clearly detecting the aromas. We also prefer a glass with a perlage point. This is located at the bottom of the glass and ensures a beautifully bubbly Champagne. The Lehmann Premium glass is a beautiful example of such a glass.
Speaking of bubbles, polish your glass, but don't overdo it . If you're using a champagne flute, there's a chance it has a perlage point that creates bubbles. However, if you don't have one, a highly polished glass will create fewer bubbles. Also, try to avoid the dishwasher. We know , it's tricky, especially if you're hosting a larger tasting. If your dishwasher has a glassware setting, use it. Incidentally, there are plenty of tips online about cleaning glassware.
On the day of the tasting, you can remove any limescale or other grime with steam. For example, hold the glass over a pan of boiling water and clean it with a linen cloth. But be careful not to polish the glasses, as this will cause the bubbles to disappear.
3. Cooler and ice
The temperature of Champagne is crucial. Too cold or too warm can quickly alter the experience and even be detrimental. Most Champagnes are enjoyed at around 8-10 °C . It's easiest to refrigerate the bottles a day beforehand. On the day of the tasting, place them in a cooler with ice and water half an hour before the tasting begins. Keep in mind that Champagne is better served too cold than too warm , as the liquid warms up quite quickly in the glass.
4. Stopper
Use a stopper to seal the bottle after pouring. This will optimally preserve the aromas and bubbles. Even if you don't finish all the Champagne, you can store a bottle with a stopper in the refrigerator for up to a week.
5. Cloth
We've already discussed how a linen cloth is useful for cleaning glasses, but it's also handy when pouring Champagne. You often see a cooler in restaurants with a napkin or cloth over it. This is used, among other things, to dry the bottle before pouring the Champagne. This prevents (ice-cold!) water from dripping on anyone or the table. So keep something handy to dry the bottle.
6. Spittoon
You won't always need a spittoon. It's handy, for example, if you're organizing a professional tasting or planning to try a lot of Champagne (otherwise, you won't be able to taste properly after a few glasses). An evening with friends usually doesn't require a spittoon.
7. Food and drink
Very important! Make sure you have plenty of still water and some snacks. Between Champagnes, it's helpful to eat a neutralizing cracker or a piece of bread . This way, the aromas of the previous Champagne don't linger in your mouth. It's important to choose neutral flavors. Dry bread or a salty cracker is fine. Cheese crackers, bread with spreads, or other snacks will naturally influence the flavor of the Champagne. These can also be very interesting, but perhaps less suitable if the focus is on discovering the flavors of Champagne. If not, or if you're turning it into a casual social gathering, you can go all out . There are so many snacks and appetizers that go well with Champagne!
That's it for now. We hope you enjoy your Champagne tasting!
Don't feel like organizing a tasting yourself? We can host one at home . All you have to do is gather your friends and family. This way, you'll not only sample delicious Champagnes together, but we'll also tell you all about the sparkling gold. Get in touch today!