Champagne styles which pair perfectly with afternoon tea
Enjoy a glass of bubbly and add some sparkle to this great British tradition
- 1. Smoked salmon on buttered brown bread or soft prawn rolls
- 2. Cucumber sandwich with minted cream cheese
- 3. Egg mayonnaise and cress sandwich
- 4. Coronation chicken or beef pastrami with caramelised onions sandwich
- 5. Freshly baked scones with strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream
- 6. A secret tip...
With tiers of sandwiches, cakes and scones on the menu, an afternoon tea is one of Britain’s great culinary traditions. To celebrate the heritage, this week is Afternoon Tea Week in the UK and many will be enjoying a cup of Darjeeling or Earl Grey with their finger food.
While a cuppa is a standard offering, why not add some sparkle to your tea party? Here, Francoise Peretti, director of the Champagne Bureau UK, chooses the perfect champagne styles to go with your favourite tea time bites.
Whether it’s cakes and pastries you prefer, or something on the savoury side, Peretti suggests what champagne to pair for a perfect afternoon tea.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
1. Smoked salmon on buttered brown bread or soft prawn rolls
Pink hued rosé champagne
“For the seafood aficionado, I would recommend a pink hued rosé champagne. An exceptionally versatile style that matches oily fish and shellfish harmoniously, the red berry aromas and flavours of this style also work delightfully with pastries or cakes featuring strawberries and raspberries.”
2. Cucumber sandwich with minted cream cheese
Zero dosage champagne
“I would recommend a zero dosage champagne, also known as ‘Extra Brut’, for a vegetarian-based teatime. The delicate flavours pair very well with the no-frills, low-to-no sugar style which will let the vegetables’ natural sweetness to express themselves.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
3. Egg mayonnaise and cress sandwich
Blanc de blancs champagne
“I would recommend a blanc de blancs champagne for more creamy or rich elements, in particular buttery pastries. Made from 100% chardonnay, a blanc de blancs champagne is a fresh and lively style known for its citrus fruit flavours and aromas. This will balance your experience, cutting through any potential heaviness and making everything taste much lighter.”
4. Coronation chicken or beef pastrami with caramelised onions sandwich
Blanc de noirs champagne
“For meat lovers, I would recommend choosing a blanc de noirs champagne. This is a white champagne made from 100% black grapes – pinot noir or meunier. With more structure, this style offers champagne holding against the meat powerful flavours. Potentially opening on red fruit flavours, a blanc de boirs champagne also fares well with sweet/savoury combinations.”
5. Freshly baked scones with strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream
Demi-sec champagne
“For the quintessential afternoon tea snacks, I would recommend trying a demi-sec champagne. Still incredibly fresh but slightly sweeter, it is softer on the palate when paired with sugary treats.”
6. A secret tip...
“If you want to pair one special bottle for the whole tea party, choose vintage champagne from your favourite style. Vintage champagnes are aged on the lees for a minimum of three years, although many are in fact aged for a lot longer, sometimes up to a decade. The wines have time to develop deeper layers of complexity and new aromas. At times brioche, pastry, butter and toffee aromas and flavours. Sometimes even earthy tobacco, dried fruits, and spice. With the capacity to pair with different snacks and dishes, your vintage champagne will be the ultimate food-pairing star wine for your next teatime.”
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Glass act: the story of the champagne coupe
The Blend Celebrating the charm of the champagne coupe, the classiest glass of them all
By Simon Mills Published
-
Take a Champagne-drinking tour across the globe
The Week Recommends Pop off at one of these seven Champagne-centric bars
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week's 2023 holiday gift guide
The Week Recommends You'll want to check this list twice
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
How toxins, heavy metals and possibly radioactive polonium are found in vapes
feature Vapers don’t know what they’re inhaling and cannot be certain of the health impacts
By The Week Staff Published
-
How to immerse yourself in the Edinburgh Fringe 2023
feature Given the scale of the festival navigating the array of shows on offer can be a challenge
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why schoolchildren are regularly being targeted by terrorist groups in many countries
feature Attacks on schools seen as a good way to bring attention to a cause by armed groups
By The Week Staff Published
-
Is Eurovision finally cool?
feature Many British fans of Eurovision speak enthusiastically about its tolerance and openness
By The Week Staff Published
-
BMW M3 Touring review: what the car critics say
feature A sensational all-rounder, the car is ‘eye-wateringly, cheek-puffingly good to drive fast’
By The Week Staff Published