Food pairing
Food pairing
From aperitif to dessert: Maison Collet's own recommendations on which cuvée to serve with which course – with serving temperature and the matching bottle.
1. Temperature
8–10 °C for the fresh wines, 10–12 °C for vintage and barrel-aged cuvées. Instead of the freezer, 20 minutes in iced water.
2. Glass
A white-wine glass rather than a flute: this is how the aromas open up.
3. Order
Move from the lighter to the fuller, from drier to sweeter over the course of dinner.
4. Opening
Hold the cork and turn the bottle – a soft sigh, not a bang.
Aperitif and receptions
The first glass of the evening: fresh, open, easy-drinking wines that do not overpower the canapés. For welcoming guests, cocktail bites and standing receptions.
Oysters, seafood, fish dishes
Salty, iodine-rich dishes call for a champagne with taut acidity and minerality. Seafood brings out the salinity of the chalky soils best.
Foie gras and classic starters
The richness of foie gras is balanced either by red fruit and a fine tannic structure, or by a little residual sugar – both directions work.
White and red meats
Fuller, pinot noir-based or barrel-aged wines: enough structure to stay audible alongside meat.
Festive main – lobster, seafood with meat
The House's prestige wines: long ageing, barrel fermentation, creamy texture – for the dish meant to be the highlight of the evening.
Dessert, red fruit, chocolate
A sweeter wine for a sweet course: the demi-sec and the rosé are the only two wines that keep their fruitiness alongside dessert.
Overview
Every cuvée and its recommended dish
| Cuvée | Recommended dish | Serving | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Déco Brut | Starter – light bites · Main – red meats | 8–10 °C | 20 500 Ft | Buy → |
| Esprit Couture 2015 | Starter – blue lobster | 10–12 °C | 62 200 Ft | Buy → |
| Art Déco Extra Brut | Aperitif – fresh seafood · Main – fish dishes | 8–10 °C | 20 700 Ft | Buy → |
| Blanc de Blancs Brut | Main – fish dishes | 8–10 °C | 23 900 Ft | Buy → |
| Rosé Brut | Starter – foie gras · Dessert – red fruit, chocolate | 9–11 °C | 22 800 Ft | Buy → |
| Blanc de Noirs Brut | Aperitif – cocktail bites · Main – meat and seafood together | 8–10 °C | 23 900 Ft | Buy → |
| Origine Demi-sec | Starter – foie gras · Dessert – sweets | 8–10 °C | 18 500 Ft | Buy → |
| Millésime 2014 | Starter – oysters, seafood | 10–12 °C | 26 300 Ft | Buy → |
| Grand Cru Aÿ Collection Privée 2012 | Starter – foie gras · Main – veal with chanterelles | 10–12 °C | 47 900 Ft | Buy → |
| Origine Brut | Aperitif – reception · Festive occasions | 8–10 °C | 16 900 Ft | Buy → |
The prices shown are the current prices in the online shop of the official Hungarian distributor, Energy4U Kft. (champagneforyou.hu). Orders are placed in the shop.
Tasting at home
Several cuvées side by side
The easiest way to learn the pairings is to taste several wines one after another in a single evening. The at-home tasting packs arrive with 4–5 bottles in tasting order, printed tasting notes and food-pairing suggestions – for six people, with free delivery.
Tasting packs
Frequently asked questions
Serving and pairing
At what temperature should champagne be served?
Fresh, non-vintage wines show best at 8–10 °C, the rosé at 9–11 °C, and vintage and barrel-aged cuvées at 10–12 °C. A glass that is too cold hides the aromas.
Which glass should we use?
From a white-wine glass rather than a narrow flute: the wider bowl opens the aromas, especially in barrel-fermented wines such as the Esprit Couture.
Can champagne be drunk with the main course?
Yes. The fuller, pinot noir-based wines – Art Déco Brut, Blanc de Noirs, Grand Cru Aÿ – hold their own alongside red meat, veal and mushroom dishes.
What goes with dessert?
The Origine Demi-Sec with sweets, and the Rosé Brut with red-fruit and chocolate desserts, according to the House's own recommendation.
Where can I buy these champagnes?
In the online shop of the official Hungarian distributor, Energy4U Kft., at champagneforyou.hu, and in person at the Belle Époque Bar & Boutique in Kecskemét (Rákóczi u. 32., 6000 Kecskemét).
Newsletter
Vintages, tastings, limited releases
At most one email a month from the Hungarian representative: new vintages and limited releases, dates of tastings in Kecskemét, seasonal gift ideas and food pairings.
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