FOR me, a cream tea without Champagne just doesn’t work. Bear in mind though, that not all Champagnes will pair well with the sweetness of the scones and the jam. You’ll have to seek out a fruity style of fizz, or even a Demi-Sec as opposed to a Brut. Brut on the label really just indicates that the wine in the bottle is dry. A Demi-Sec is less dry, but by no means sweet.
Some houses like Ruinart and Canard-Duchene prefer to make wine in a fruity, approachable style, intended mostly for the domestic market. They want you to finish a bottle and still want to open another one. These are my favourite styles of Champagne.
Other houses produce different releases for different markets. For example, Veuve Clicquot makes a sweeter release for the Russian market, and a drier, more acidic one for Scotland.
Lanson is one of the more noticeably acidic styles on the market. This is because they inhibit a natural process called malolactic fermentation. This process makes the wine softer and more approachable by changing the acid in the wine from malic acid (like in apples) to lactic acid (like in milk). Because Lanson inhibit this process, their Champagne is the wine equivalent of biting into a Granny Smith apple. It’s really fresh, zesty and delicious but it does have a pronounced acidity that will not suit every cream tea imbiber. I do love Monsieur Lanson’s philosophy however: he says that he just makes wine for himself, and what he can’t drink, he sells.
All of the following bottles are currently worth seeking out in your local Majestic Wine Warehouse, at some pretty attractive prices.
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut NV (£49.99). Ruinart was established in 1729, making it the oldest Champagne house in existence. The Blanc de Blancs is simply exquisite.
Canard Duchene Brut NV (£19.99). This is such a nice Champagne, and such good value too. They also still practise saberage, the art of opening the bottle with a saber. I wouldn’t necessarily advocate trying this at home.
Veuve Clicquot Brut NV (£38.99 for a bottle and £74.99 for a magnum). For me, this will always be one of the best bottles of fizz on the market, especially if you go for the magnum. A magnum will occasionally last twice as long as a bottle. But only occasionally.
Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec NV (£32.99). This is the perfect bottle for cream teas.
Lanson Black Label Brut NV (£27.89). The Lanson won’t work with a cream tea, but it is lovely nonetheless.
Pete Stewart is Glasgow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a Bath Street, Glasgow (0141 221 5121) www.inverarity121.com
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