With COVID and having to stay at home, you may want to splurge a bit and buy a bottle of Champagne to celebrate with your significant other on Valentine’s Day. There are many different bottles of Champagne that you can purchase here in BC, from BC government liquor stores as well as many private wine shops.
One of my favourite Champagne Houses is Champagne Taittinger. Champagne Taittinger was founded in 1734 by Jacques Fourneaux. It is the third oldest Champagne house in the region. The current family that owns Taittinger started in 1931 with the purchase of the Forest-Fourneaux vineyards by Pierre Charles Taittinger.
Taittinger concentrates on using Chardonnay grapes for their wines but do also add in Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier for some of the wines. Chardonnay, I was told from a previous discussion I have had with a winery in Champagne, produces finer bubbles than from Pinot Noir and from Pinot Meunier.
Three Champagne’s I tried last year from Taittinger that I really liked were:
Champagne Taittinger Brut Reserve NV (BC$64.99 on sale till March 6 at BC Liquor stores) – This Champagne has nice stone fruit aromas. Tiny creamy bubbles. It is off-dry with a medium body. Ripe stone fruit and apples along with some pepperiness. 
Champagne Taittinger Prelude Grands Cru NV (check with your local wine shop) – Light apple and stone fruit nose. Medium-plus body with higher acidity. Citrus apple and light toast on the palate. Very creamy bubbles.
Champagne Taittinger Prestige Rosé NV (check with your local wine shop) – Nice red apple nose. Light body; dry. Creamy light bubbles. Red fruits followed by red apples on the palate.
Other Champagnes for Valentine’s Day
Here are a few other sub $100 Champagne’s that I’ve enjoyed in the past that are available through BC Liquor Stores that you may also want to consider:
- CHARLES HEIDSIECK – BRUT RESERVE (BC $69.99 on sale till March 6)
- PERRIER JOUET – GRAND BRUT (BC $71.99)
- BARONS DE ROTHSCHILD – BRUT (BC $87.99)
- LAURENT PERRIER – CUVEE ROSE BRUT (BC $95.99 on sale till March 6)
Dessert Pairings
The Champagne Bureau, USA, offers these suggestions for dessert pairings with Champagnes:
- Tarts and crumbles that combine the freshness of red berries, rhubarb, plums or pears with flaky pastry go best with a vintage Champagne, a mature blanc de noirs Champagne, or a white or rosé Champagne made predominantly from the Pinot Noir and/or Meunier grape varieties. This will bring out the character of the wine and the terroir from which it originates.
- Moist, melt-in-your-mouth cakes, macarons, or madeleines pair well with a brut, dry or medium dry Champagne created from a blend of the three grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay). Alternatively, choose a rosé Champagne packed with fruity flavor.
- Biscuits and cookies, almond cakes, and shortbread have a dense texture that calls for the refreshing qualities of light and lively blanc de blancs Champagne, preferably vintage, which is aged for more than five years on lees.