Tom Parker Bowles: Three 元気づけるs for Christmas

シャンペン酒 has moved away from 存在 the perfect dining companion to become better known as an aperitif or celebratory slug. Tom Parker Bowles 明らかにする／漏らすs which are the best for the festive season

The art of matching シャンペン酒 with food is as old as the drink itself.

You can imagine the wily Dom Perignon supping on a simple vegetable stew while sipping a cup of his own bubbly. Or Louis XIV slurping oysters, wench in one 手渡す, libation in the other.

And James 社債 liked his Bollinger with a pile of Beluga.

Recently, however, シャンペン酒 has moved away from 存在 the perfect dining companion to become better known as an aperitif or celebratory slug.

The popping of its corks is the ubiquitous celebratory soundtrack, while the liquid within is the 燃料 for an entire festive season.

The next week or so sees シャンペン酒-guzzling reach its 年次の 頂点（に達する） as we throw any old rubbish 負かす／撃墜する our necks.

Like any ワイン, though, シャンペン酒 can work wonders with all sorts of foods, not just fish and crustaceans. And with the Christmas lunch ぼんやり現れるing, it's time to escape the Mo?t (way too 乾燥した，日照りの) and try some lesser-known gems that give you far more bang for your buck and cosset the food on your plate.

In fact, there's something rather decadent about drinking シャンペン酒 all the way through dinner.

Vintage シャンペン酒s (ie, those made from the grapes of a 選び出す／独身 収穫 rather than a blend) are always the most expensive, with much richer, more biscuity depths and 広大な／多数の／重要な 複雑さ and finish.

These work 井戸／弁護士席 with savoury or "umami" flavours (such as porcini mushrooms and parmesan) 同様に as eggs, fried food and even spicy dishes.

The younger vintages (and my favourites are Krug, Bollinger and Dom Perignon) match 同様に with a Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire as they do with really good parmesan.

One of the best matches I've had was a bacon 挟む and a glass of vintage Krug.

The 大多数 of vintages are not 正確に／まさに cheap, so I searched out a group of 非，不，無-vintage Brut シャンペン酒s that work 平等に 井戸／弁護士席.

The Henriot Ros? NV (£30 from Harrods, harrods.com) was delicate and fruity, and 追加するd life to 冷淡な turkey.

The Gosset Grande Reserve (£36.50 from Harrods) was too 乾燥した，日照りの on its own for my liking, 欠如（する）ing character, but 現実に 改善するd when matched with York ham.

The Devaux Brut Ultra D (£44.50 from Harrods) is 特に marketed to drink with food. It's refreshing with buttery 辛勝する／優位s and an elegant finish, and brings out the best in the strongest of smoked salmon, 同様に as Comte cheese.

But best of all, suitable for everything from smoked salmon and canap?s to turkey, ham and cheese is the Jacquesson Cuv?e 731 (£32 from Berry Bros, bbr.com), delicate and minerally but with 抱擁する 複雑さ and depth.

And at an amazing price for the 質, too.

So rather than むち打ち the シャンペン酒 on its own, try it with your Christmas lunch. I 保証（人） all that turkey will taste a whole lot more enticing.