Wine Tasting Ideas: Pairing Champagne and Caviar

Pairing caviar with champagne embodies luxury at the highest level. You're served a glass of this classic bubbly, celebratory beverage, preferably in dry form. At the same time, you're presented with multiple dishes of caviar, each with a distinctive profile playing salty and delicately rich flavors against each other.

Yet, in the present, we're seeing more types of caviar, and the market for artisanal champagne continues to grow. These two factors have significantly increased the number of pairing possibilities you can arrange for your affair. Here's what to consider:

What Is Caviar?

Typically served on its own at pairings, caviar is classified as salt-cured fish roe sourced from wild sturgeons found in the Caspian or Black Sea. Taste-wise, it spans salty and briny notes to buttery and rich, based on oil content.

Note that not all fish eggs are or can be sold as caviar. Trout and salmon eggs, for example, present a similar experience but are labeled as roe.

Considering taste and origin, common caviar types include:

  • Beluga caviar: Sought after for its rich, buttery taste, beluga caviar has flourished into the paradigm of fine dining. This type uses the eggs from the beluga sturgeon, a fish known to grow 20 feet in length, and balances mild, luscious notes with nuttier flavors and a tender texture.
  • Osetra caviar: Considered the perfect complement to champagne, osetra caviar stands out with a lighter, more golden hue and stronger umami and salty notes that proportionally contrast against the beverage's effervescence.
  • Sevruga: With a gray-black hue and smaller fish eggs, Sevruga caviar has a more subtle, delicate flavor that pairs with light, sweeter champagnes.

Why Caviar Pairs Well With Champagne

Champagne also exudes a memorable first impression, from its zesty to almond-like or brioche aroma with moderate acidic notes of orange and lemon to its light, bubbly texture that acts as a palate cleanser for caviar. Making it a staple of various tasting affairs, one sip of champagne quickly engages the tastebuds but doesn't have an overpowering effect.

For your pairing, make sure to serve both your champagne and caviar at the appropriate temperature:

  • Store your caviar ahead of time in just-above-freezing conditions in the cold part of your refrigerator. Before your pairing, have it sit and acclimate to room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.
  • Chill your champagne at 45°F for at least two hours before serving.

From here, utilize and experiment with the broad, intentional contrasts of caviar and champagne to orchestrate your pairings:

  • For a classic experience, begin with a beluga or osetra caviar and have a bottle of vintage dry champagne ready to pour, like a Brut or Taittinger variety.
  • For a modern pairing with a classic caviar, be ready with a dark rosé, known for distinctive fruity notes and an effervescent texture.
  • For all-around warmer, more buttery flavors, start with a champagne with more elevated brioche notes and serve it with caviar known for more mild, tender flavors.
  • If you're after stark contrasts, have a brighter, full-bodied champagne with fruity notes, like Krug or Dom Perignon, at your table plus a dish of saltier-toned, more acidic caviar, like osetra.
  • For caviars with more prominent, almost cheese-like flavors, seek out a sweeter, honey-like champagne with a smoother, less-bubbly texture and more acidic notes. Understand that fruitier, sweeter champagnes can mask the nuances of more buttery, velvety caviars.

Finish Your Menu

While champagne and caviar are central to your tasting experience, expand the flavors and textures available to yourself and any guests:

  • Opt for traditional appetizers or hors d'oeuvres by including a blini board with mini crepes, hard-boiled eggs, chives, chopped onions and crème fraiche.
  • Think about including other salty, savory bites, like smoked salmon served on toasts or crusty bread.
  • Add citrus to complement the champagne; for example, a lemon spread to be enjoyed with toasts or strawberries.
  • Include something fried and crispy: Suggestions span potato chips to fried wonton crisps to potato pancakes topped with sour cream.