Champagne for Christmas: choose the right type and the best kind of glasses to use — then discover the expert way to serve your festive fizz

Choose the perfect champagne - and the best glasses to serve it in - this festive season
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Christmas is the perfect excuse — if you need one — to crack open a bottle of bubbly.

But with so many varieties to choose from, it can be tricky to know where to start your search.

Once you've navigated the brands and chosen a favourite, it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with the common pitfalls best avoided when it’s time to pour and savour.

Five Champagne types

Brut
The driest and lowest in sugar, ideal as an aperitif or for accompanying food

Demi-sec
Semi-dry, with a higher sugar dosage than brut, works well with dessert

​Rosé
Made using a blend of red and white wines, for example Chardonnay and Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier

Blanc de Blancs
Light and elegant, typically with citrus notes, made using only white Chardonnay grapes

Blanc de Noirs
A blanc-style Champagne made using only red grapes, often with a fruitier character than other sparkling wines

"Champagne is a wonderful aperitif that not only lifts the soul but physically prepares the appetite for more delights to follow – perfect at this time of year," says Jonathan “Jonny Fizz” Simms, Champagne Ambassador at Perrier-Jouët.

"It's actually very versatile with food – think light canapés or starters. Fish and shellfish, poultry and creamy desserts can be fantastic with whites. Red meats and berry desserts can be wonderful with rosés, but avoid anything too sweet.

"At this indulgent time of year, a Blanc de Blancs is perhaps the perfect balance with its fresh, light and crisp citrus style - in contrast to the other darker and heavier foods and drinks being enjoyed."

Which glasses to use for Champagne?

Contrary to popular opinion, shallow saucer-style coupes - think Great Gatsby - are no longer seen as the preferred glasses for champagne as the wide mouth allows too much exposure to the air and lets the bubbles escape too quickly.

Instead, tulips or white wine glasses are becoming increasingly popular, overtaking flutes which show off the stream of bubbles but don't allow aromas to develop fully. Larger bowls, such as generous-sized wineglasses or the curved tulips, will better enable you to savour your favourite vintage.

There are no hard-and-fast rules for drinking your favourite fizz - celebrating with friends is always a good place to start - but there are guidelines for maximising your enjoyment.

Five top tips from Jonathan Simms, of Perrier-Jouët champagne house, on how to drink champagne this festive season

1. Leave the foil on: never take the foil off unless you have a sword in your other hand and are planning a Sabrage moment.

2. Don’t pop the cork: strictly speaking the bottle should sigh, not pop, when you open it — unless you love the pop.

3. No need to chill for long. Do remember this is fine wine – don’t chill it to the point of being frozen – 8 degrees for non-vintage and 10 or even 12 degrees for vintage (unless you like it very cold – no rules, only advice!)

4. Sipping tips: take a sip and enjoy; then take another sip and chew a little, as if the drink were food. This aerates the wine and opens it up for maximum pleasure. It works with all wine.

5. Enjoy the moment. Whether you drink from a coupe, flute, glass - or, like Casanova, a ladies shoe — enjoy, embrace and delight in this exquisite wine from a very small corner of northern France.