Nothing says celebration like an ice cold bottle of Champagne, the world’s most famous and luxurious sparkling wine. Strictly and exclusively made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier in in the designated wine region of Champagne in northeastern France, its signature fine bubbles (made using the the Méthode Traditionelle) have made it one of the most highly-sought (and imitated) styles in the world.

While you’ll often see it enjoyed on its own in movies and books, this iconic bubbly is actually an incredibly food-friendly wine—it doesn’t just make your meal taste better, but can also elevate an already-great Champagne! There are classic pairings, but in this article, we look at more unconventional (see: unexpected) Champagne pairings that really pop, ready for the next time you buy natural wine in Metro Manila:

What does Champagne taste like?

Despite strict regulation, no two Champagnes will ever taste exactly the same—however, it does have a general profile. You can always expect Champagne to have distinctly fine bubbles and a refreshingly crisp acidity.. Many, but not all, are dry rather than sweet, and have toasty, brioche-like notes, but there are many exceptions to this rule.

No two Champagnes will taste exactly the same because each is influenced by the grapes used in them, how and where exactly said grapes are grown, how the winemaker decides to treat them throughout the winemaking process, how long it’s aged, and how much carbonation is in the bottle. Fun fact: there are even natural Champagnes you can shop right here in the Metro!

That said, Champagne can taste everywhere from bright and saline (try Timothee Stroebel’s Triptyque Brut Nature Premier Cru)  to nutty and complex (like the Heraclite Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs) to even structured and fuller-bodied (like the Logos Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs.

Classic Champagne food pairings

When it comes to pairing Champagne with food, many try to match its sense of sophistication with dishes that are equally as luxurious or indulgent. That lively acidity makes a great pair with the richness of foie gras. Meanwhile, the briny, fresh flavors of oysters and caviar are a classic match with the crisp, mineral notes that most Champagnes have—but more delicate styles like Blanc de Blancs shine even better with seared scallops and lobster.

If you’re simply serving a cheese board, soft, bloomy rind cheeses like Brie and Camembert are the classic pairing—though you’ll find a great pair in Gruyere and Gouda for aged Champagne styles showing nuttier notes with maturity.

Champagnes stronger on their toasty and creamy notes work well with richer dishes—roasted duck being a classic, but any poultry with a beurre blanc sauce or perhaps a creamy risotto works too!

Food that goes unexpectedly well with Champagne

While there are many classic pairings for Champagne, its lively acidity, complexity, and carbonation actually make it especially food-friendly—leading to great pairings that many people don’t expect to work with such a luxurious wine!

Crispy Pata

One of the last things people imagine pairing wine with is Filipino cuisine, let alone Champagne. But you would be surprised by the really good wine and Filipino food pairings out there, and one of our favorites is Champagne with ultra-crispy, golden-brown crispy pata! Whether it’s at a party, inuman, or just an indulgent dinner, crispy pata steals the show with its crunchy skin and tender meat—-and just when you think you can’t have another bite, a sip of Champagne cleanses the palate of any heaviness and greasiness and has you ready for even more! If you’re enjoying your pork with lots of soy sauce and vinegar, a Champagne with a touch of salinity works best.

Singaporean Chili Crab

One thing we love about sparkling wine is how it can pair well with nearly everything—even spicy food. It’s one of the reasons it works so well even with a dish like chili crab: not only do the bubbles help with the heat, a more structured Champagne’s toasty notes are a great balance with the chili in the sauce and the toasty mantou this Singaporean dish is typically served with! Bonus points if you have a Champagne with sea salt notes to really bring out the flavor of the crab.

Sushi and Sashimi

If Champagne’s classic pairing is briny, smell-of-the-sea oysters and caviar, who’s to say that it wouldn’t go well with other types of raw, ultra-fresh seafood from around the world? Uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe) gunkan and kaisendon are a great place to start, but you’ll definitely find a match in other fish like hamachi and saba. For heftier fish like fatty tuna or salmon, however, you may want to switch up your classic Brut for a rosé Champagne or a Blanc de Noir.

Peking Duck with Hoisin Sauce

When pairing wine with Champagne, people often recommend having it with roasted duck—and while you may be imagining it French-style, we’ve found that it goes just as well with the juicy richness of Peking Duck, plus the chewy traditional pancake, spring onions and cucumber, and sweet-tangy hoisin sauce it’s served with. As you finish off that platter of succulent duck with crispy skin (especially with the bite of spring onion), a fuller-bodied Champagne works as a great palate-cleanser!

Kare-Kare

Okay, hear us out: your traditional Filipino kare-kare is thick and savory, with a creamy and nutty peanut sauce balanced out by umami bagoong on the side. You’ve got richness, you’ve got nuttiness, and you’ve got a bit of funk and salt: that sounds like a great pairing with Champagne to us, especially with a bottle with lots of nut and toast notes. This is one instance where every sip works to both cleanse the palate and highlight what the food and wine have in common—a must-try, in our opinion!

Haemul Pajeon

Korean is another cuisine many find it hard to imagine pairing wine with, but we’ve found plenty of great wine pairings with Korean food. One of them is a toasty, crowd-pleasing haemul pajeon (seafood pancake) loaded with shrimp, squid, and clams—all the types of seafood that a Champagne with a hint of sea breeze would really shine with! 

Fried Chicken

Let’s be real: bubbles are a match made in heaven with anything deep-fried, and Champagne is no exception. Whether it’s a platter of southern fried chicken or a bucket of six you picked up from Jollibee, that crispy golden skin and juicy meat find a great pair with Champagne’s effervescence—think of it like having it with the world’s most luxurious soda. Extra bonus if your Champagne is extra toasty to go with the flour in that breading!

Pancit Malabon

No birthday celebration in the Philippines is complete without a bilao of pancit, and one crowd favorite will always be Pancit Malabon. Shrimp broth, fish sauce, and annatto oil gives these thick noodles their distinctive orange hue—and with toppings like shrimp, eggs, chicharon and tinapa on top, you have umami and richness in every bite. When it all starts to get heavy on the mouth, Champagne does just the thing with its bubbles cleansing your palate while also complimenting the seafood. With the power of that sauce, though, we’d recommend a Champagne with a little more body to stand up to it.

Fish Tacos

With lots of savory, spiced, and spicy flavors, Mexican food is one cuisine that definitely loves bubbles. For everyday meals, that would mean soda—but for a meal where you’re really aiming to indulge, Champagne definitely wouldn’t be out of place. The crispy, deep-fried fish and crunchy cabbage slaw of a Baja-style fish taco in particular make for a great pairing, with the refreshing acidity of the wine standing in for the zing you’d get from freshly-squeezed lime on top. Don’t knock it til you try it!

Kinilaw

One of the most important rules in pairing is that your wine should always have more acidity than your food. This is something that makes vinegar-based dishes like kinilaw tough to find a partner for, but that’s where your Champagne’s high acidity and bubbles come in. When you put together food and wine that are both high in acid, the tartness in both mellows out. The fruit and salinity in your Champagne comes out, and you get to taste more of the seafood in the kinilaw.

Corn Dogs

Remember what we said about many Champagnes having a toasty, brioche flavor profile? This unexpected pairing—an interesting case where the pairing is both complementary and contrasting— is where that really comes into play. The Champagne cuts through the greasiness of your classic corndog, but also has its bready notes amped up by that deep-fried cornmeal coating. Even the Korean style of corndog with potato cubes or panko coatings or mozzarella cheese fillings will also work as long as it’s not covered in sugar! This is best enjoyed with a Champagne on the toastier, creamier side.

Where to buy natural sparkling wine in Metro Manila

There is a whole world of pairings to explore, and there’s no better way to get started than to buy Champagne yourself and enjoy it with many dishes. For natural Champagne (made with organic grapes and little to no sulfites added) here in the Philippines, shop at the (Super)Natural online wine store. We carry the highly-coveted Champagnes of collector-favorite Timothée Stroebel, as well as natural sparkling wines from regions around the world—from France and Spain to Italy and the Czech Republic.

Shop natural wine at (Super)Natural, with same-day delivery available in Metro Manila for orders made before 2 PM.