I’m always happy to try new Champagnes, and sparkling wines are often so over-looked when it comes to pairing with food. To show how interesting (and diverse) pairing vegan food and sparkling wine can be, I recently put together the ultimate vegan 3-course dinner with wine pairings, to discover more about the different foods you can pair with sparkling wines. On quest to find an interesting Brut Champagne for the tasting plan, I came across this little number from Majestic Wines: the house bottle by producer Nicolas Feuillatte; the third-largest Champagne producer in France.
About Nicolas Feuillatte
Nicolas Feuillatte appears to be winegrowers collective, comprised of 4500hectares of land in Champagne. These sites, each unique, offer a lot when it comes to create unique wines.
Correct up to 2017, their NV Brut Champagne is vegan-friendly, as well as their vintage wines. They also come from vineyards committed to creating sustainable viticulture practises. According to their website, Nicolas Feuillatte hold something called a “Vignoble and Qualité” (Vineyard and Quality) day every year, which convenes more than 400 growers to reflect on major issues relating to the Champagne vineyard- including the impact of global warming, the environment and wine tourism.
Tasting Notes for Nicolas Feuillatte NV:
Comprised of 10% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 50% Pinot Meunier, this delightful sparkling wine offers interesting raspberry notes I’ve never encountered before in Champagne, alongside classic apple and citrus.
Offering exuberant but persistent bubbles, the first thing to hit the palate are beautiful flavours of honey, burnt sugar and toasted pecans. Before this all becomes too sweet, however, the acidity washes through, followed by a distinguishably long finish of French toast, nuttiness, and brioche
It’s a really lovely Champagne, actually; light and well-balanced with beautiful flavours, long-lasting bubbles, subtle creaminess. The best part? It’s a delightful vegan sparkling wine for less than you might expect: a 75cl bottom is available for around £18-£20 from most UK supermarkets and wine merchants. All in all, it was easy choice to make this my Wine of the Month for April 2019.
Food Pairings for Champagne
Drier sparkling wines such as Brut Champagne pair with fried foods surprisingly well – there’s something about deep-fried crunch and zesty bubbles that make it an unconventional classic when pairing food with sparkling wine. Champagne also likes salty food; rich, buttery food; and creamy or honeyed desserts, like cheesecake or crème brûlée. It’s pretty versatile, actually!
For that reason, I enjoyed a flute of this delicious vegan fizz with deep-fried udon noodles sprinkled in seaweed salt, followed by vegan fish and chips. For dessert, I found this paired well with avocado ice-cream and rich, buttery macadamia nuts on the dessert platter.
Read the full post: Three Course Vegan Dinner with Sparkling Wine Pairings.
What’s your favourite vegan food pairing for Champagne? . . .
Jess x
The Uncorked Vegan 
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