Although champagne is associated with celebration, it can be enjoyed with a wide range of cuisines. Drinkers have a lot to choose from with the selection increasing every year in Hong Kong.
As always, it's better to drink good wines in moderation - this is a much better precaution against a morning-after headache than having to take multivitamins, a 'hair of the dog' Bloody Mary and a greasy fry-up.
In case you fear you haven't bought enough bubbly to last through the festive holidays, here are some suggestions
on good-value champagnes in different price categories. Happy holidays, everyone.
Ruinart Blanc de Blanc
Champagne, Reims, France
Ruinart is no newcomer to Hong Kong, as a reader of this column pointed out. It was the de rigueur drink of the 1980s and is one of the champagnes of choice for knowledgeable drinkers. The Ruinart house is famed for its 100 per cent chardonnay champagnes - known as blanc de blancs - that will make your guests pause to wonder over its pure chardonnay taste. Serve it with slivers of crispy garlic and crunchy celeriac cocktail canapes, for minimum effort but maximum flavour.
