Wine Gifts

Food and Wine Matching

Is Champagne really the best match for fish and chips?

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to share with you my musings with my other half last Friday night. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin…

Discussing the possible delights for supper (I had been enticed down to the gym with promises of dinner…) we realised it had been a while since we had savoured the truly British Friday night supper that is fish and chips (not Cod, it’s endangered don’t you know, but other beauties such as Pollock and Coley with big fat hand-cut chips).

Great, I thought. Health-conscious as I am, it is good for the soul to have a treat once in a while. I’ll just go check the wine rack to see what‘s in…Hubby didn’t seem to think there was a good wine match for fish and chips, so I mentioned in passing the theory that Champagne works wonders with such a dinner.

Hence followed quite an interesting, albeit short, discussion. You see, in theory, Champagne works. The main factor in fish and chips, when considering wine and food matching, is the grease involved. You need a lot of zippy acidity to cut through all that fat. Champagne has this, and the bubbles help to lift and cleanse the palate and cut through the batter.

Yum. In practice it works, too. I can honestly say that there is a charming novelty in sitting down to a humble bag of fish and chips with a bottle of fizz. Though in my mind, it has a romantic edge where you are sitting on the floor eating by candlelight having just moved in to your dream home surrounded by boxes, or during a power cut on a cold, rainy night when you are unable to use the oven.

The more rational side of my mind says that humble food should be matched with humble wines. Fish and chips are not to be eaten with silver service, but out of newspaper with your fingers and a paper napkin. A cheerful Sauvignon Blanc will do just fine, or a really crisp Chenin with a hint of sweetness to enhance the gentle sweetness of the fish (especially haddock).

So yes, it is fun to enjoy Champers with fish and chips, but not every day. It detracts from the ‘treat’ factor. Just make sure it is a non-vintage Champagne when you do decide to make the occasion. Save the Vintage Legros for another day…