Bedded on savoury panna cotta, white asparagus harmonises with the smooth lightness of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. Later, a shiso leaf holding miso emulsion and tender kohlrabi is a fitting foil for the newly disgorged and taut Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame 2018. The tempura langoustine claw that also features is almost incidental.
Another surprising combination enhances both food and wine: barely blanched petit pois and broad beans dressed with a touch of salt and extra virgin olive oil come with the freshest ricotta. They are paired with Krug Grande Cuvée 163ème Édition, a wine based around the 2007 vintage and now mature. Its own salty richness underlines the creamy bite of the legumes, the tang of the cheese and the depth of the oil. Would you have thought on paper that this might chime? Probably not – but it did.
Champagne, it turns out, is more than equal to spears of white and green asparagus, peppery nasturtium leaves, crunchy radishes and all the wonderfully fresh, full-flavoured and tender vegetables that are at their very best in spring. Champagne, in fact, is an underrated pairing for vegetables and should be considered a secret weapon. Once you start thinking about it, it seems obvious: Champagne has lightness as well as intensity of flavour, as do the very first spring vegetables with all their colour, freshness, crunch and tenderness.
Those who habitually drink Champagne with food have known this for a long time, hence the pairings above. The first two were created by Luke Selby for Veuve Clicquot’s ‘Garden Gastronomy’ concept, designed to showcase Champagne’s versatility with vegetables. Selby is executive head chef at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, a Michelin-starred restaurant renowned for its vast kitchen gardens, and thus no stranger to whatever is at its freshest and best. Back in Champagne itself, Veuve Clicquot has gone as far as creating a potager, or vegetable garden in Verzy, where right now the first spears of white asparagus are being harvested alongside tender leaves of sorrel – to be paired with Champagne, of course. The team at Krug has featured vegetables numerous times in its annual single ingredient series: the humble carrot in 2025, onion in 2020 and the tomato in the inaugural year of 2014. If Krug is doing it, surely it’s worth giving it a try yourself.
How? It’s relatively easy if you ignore over-complicated theories. Merlin Ramos, a sommelier who has advised diners at establishments as diverse as Elystan Street, Pollen Street Social and Ikoyi in London, tells me about the ‘triangle of umami, sweetness and acidity’ in food and wine. He credits Pascal Aussignac, chef-patron of Club Gascon in London, with this simplified formula that makes it much easier to think about pairings. So here is some expert, practical advice with a focus on prominent ingredients, cooking methods and dressings.
Cooking methods
‘Whether the vegetable is raw, sautéed, steamed or boiled will have an effect on the potency of the natural elements of the vegetable,’ Ramos notes. ‘For example, caramelised elements are created by roasting, starches are released with boiling.’ Zoé Donadio, assistant restaurant manager at vegetable-focused Apricity restaurant in London, translates this into Champagne styles: ‘Vegetables kept raw would steer me towards a brut zéro or extra brut-style blanc de blancs with high acidity, minimal sweetness, citrus and green fruit notes to match the vegetables’ bitterness and sharpness,’ she says. ‘If sautéed, fat adds richness so I would go for a more mature vintage and/or oak-aged Champagne with strong autolytic notes or pronounced fruit, like a vintage blanc de noirs or rosé. If grilled, the smokiness is a nice element to play with, again I would go for a richer, toastier oak-aged style.’ Selby adds that the ‘deep flavours from roasting and caramelising’ require both the ‘structure and yeastiness’ of a concentrated, richer Champagne.
Dressings, fats and pickling
Ramos makes an important point: ‘Vinaigrettes are lightened by the pillowy effervescence of Champagne but intensified by lower effervescence and higher acidity. So, considering what you personally want to occur is key.’ Yes, your preferences count. When Donadio adds that ‘olive oil, vinaigrette or herb-based sauces would find a better fit in mineral, high acid, more restrained styles,’ you realise that you can dial this effect up or down.
By the same token, you can enhance rich flavours with richer wines: ‘Butter, cream and umami-based sauces would pair better with more autolytic Champagnes with a round texture and depth of fruit to handle the savouriness and richness,’ she says. Selby adds that ‘more dosage, more depth can balance creaminess and stand up to rich flavours.’ When ingredients are transformed by pickling, which Selby often does ‘when there is an abundance,’ he suggests brut nature Champagnes whose ‘bone-dry expression works well with the pickles.’ Selby, Ramos and Donadio also urge us to remember rosé Champagnes for more specific pairings in the examples below. You will be surprised how well Champagne responds to these fresh flavours.
Spring vegetables and the Champagne styles to match
Asparagus
Few other vegetables embody spring as much as white or green asparagus and Gareth Ferreira MS, beverage director at Clare Smyth in London is clear: ‘If you are struggling to find something to match the amazing New Forest asparagus that is out now, Champagne is a great answer.’ Ramos suggests a vintage blanc de blancs for white asparagus, often served very simply salted with butter or hollandaise, with the depth of the Champagne answering the sweetness of the vegetable. A zingier sauce like Grenobloise (lemon, parsley, capers, bread), likewise, requires a tangier vintage blanc de blancs. I tried green asparagus with sauce hollandaise and an oak-aged yet sinuous vintage blanc de blancs, which resulted in a wonderful umami hit, while green asparagus with a carrot emulsion paired like a dream with the deep, rich resonance of Krug 2011.
Champagne to try: Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 2004, £225, Hard to Find Wines; Pierre Péters, Cuvée de Réserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, £54 The Finest Bubble
Sorrel
With its oxalic acid tanginess, sorrel requires something ‘straight-to-the-point,’ Ramos says, ‘but with depth.’ This translates into a low-dosage, concentrated non-vintage style from grand cru vineyards, like a taut rather than rounded style of blanc de noirs.
Champagne to try: Bruno Paillard Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru, £76 The Whisky Exchange
Pea shoots
These respond well to rounded fruit, so Ramos points to ‘bright, citric yellow plum styles of non-vintage brut Champagnes, while Donadio reaches for a youthful rosé de saignée.
Champagne to try: Jerôme Blin Rosé de Saignée Colette 2022, £88 Shrine to the Vine
Radishes
So often eaten raw with salt and butter at the beginning of a meal, the slight heat of the radishes can be ‘mirrored’ with the ‘gentle pepperiness of a rosé Champagne,’ says Ramos.
Champagne to try: Billecart Salmon Rosé Champagne, £72 The Finest Bubble
Wild garlic
To counter the green richness and allium aromas of this foraged favourite, Ramos suggests a Champagne ‘with biscuity notes from Chardonnay and Meunier.’ Read this as more oxidative styles with lower dosage.
Champagne to try: Franck Pascal Fluence Brut Nature. £50 Dynamic Vines
Watercress
The peppery verve of watercress calls for ‘a lifted blanc de blancs from the Cote des Blancs to bring out the spice,’ according to Ramos.
Champagne to try: A. Levasseur Blanc de Terroir 2014. £70 Sip Champagnes
Nettles
Often served as soups, sauces and risotto, nettles ‘demand some sweetness and lushness and texture’ for Ramos. He gets that from oak-aged Champagnes, especially when made from the Pinot Meunier grape. Donadio notes that ‘toasty notes’ of a richer blanc de blancs from a warmer vintage like 2015 will ‘have enough depth to match the slight peppery, earthy zing from nettles.’
Champagne to try: Franck Bonville Blanc de Blancs Brut 2015. £54 Lea and Sandeman
