Getting festive with bubbles

Louis Roederer Champagne. Photo / Supplied

As the Christmas season approaches, now is a good time to consider the glories of Champagne. Even if we can't afford it, it's nice to know it's still there, just in case we suddenly can splurge.

Or, as Napoleon Bonaparte observed, "in victory you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it". A certain level of etiquette is required when approaching a Champagne of style and substance. Flutes must be meticulously clean and polished, without even the merest hint of residual detergent.

Besides, flutes should only be hand washed. To open the Champagne, hold the cork and turn the bottle, not the other way around and never, ever point the cork at a guest - not only is it dangerous and the height of boorish behaviour, but if someone were to lose an eye it could ruin the entire evening for everybody.

Never shake a bottle before opening unless you've just won an international Formula One motor race. And never disclose the price you paid for an expensive French Champagne - people's expectations will soar and you just end up sounding like a show-off.

Despite what you may have observed in the bar at Raffles Hotel in Singapore or seen in some James Bond movie, never float a strawberry in the top of the flute. Not only is it extraordinarily naff, it makes sipping with even a hint of sophistication most difficult.

Leave the strawberries for coffee and petit fours after dinner, preferably lightly dipped in a high-grade organic chocolate. Don't over-chill the bottle. Good Champagne is a subtle, complex beast of delicate flavours, which are not enhanced by being served at minus 15 degrees celsius, with a wind chill factor one would expect on the north face of Everest. Less is more.

Encourage guests to approach their drink with a level of dignity, respect and awe ... if they're tossing it back with wild abandon, don't rush to replenish their glass. Offer a can of beer or call them a taxi.

Recommended

Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier NV
Wonderful clarity of colour. Up-front fruit, superbly balanced and finishes dry. A modern, powerful style with oodles of finesse.
Price: $100

Champagne Charles Heidsieck Rose Reserve
Only introduced last year this rose style is becoming very popular. Fresh, soft with flavours of toast, butter and blueberries. Easy on the eye, gorgeous on the palate. Fine, lively bubbles.
Price: $119