On your bottle of champagne what do the words brut, sec etc. mean?
They indicate the amount of sugar, in grams per liter. Here the used words and their grams of sugar per liter:
brut nature: 0-2
extra-brut: 0-6
brut: 0-15
extra dry/sec: 12-20
dry or sec: 17-35
demi-sec: 33-50
doux: more than 50

Starters

Aïoli --- Haut-Poitou Rosé / Vin de Pays Chardonnay / Provence or Bordeaux Rosé
Anchoïade --- Côte du Roussillon or Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Rosé / Alsace Sylvaner
Antipasto --- Australian Sémillon or Chardonnay
Côtes-de-Bergerac / Mosel
Artichokes (Artichauts Barigoule) --- Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Rosé / Rosé from the Loire or from Bordeaux
Artichauts Vinaigrette --- Bordeaux / Côte du Rhône / White Sauvignon
Artichauts Hollandaises --- White Mâcon / Pfalz Asparagus --- Sylvaner or Muscat from Alsace / Gewürztraminer
Avocado --- Champagne / Sancerre / Provence Rosé / Rheingau / Californian Chardonnay or Sauvignon
Boudin (Blood Sausage) --- Chinin / Sauvignon Loire
Caviar --- Champagne Chablis
Charcuterie --- Beaujolais / Bardolino / Dry Lambrusco / Young Chilean Cabernet-Sauvignon / Riesling Spätlese / Valpolicella
Chinese Dim-Sum --- Sauvignon Blanc / Riesling / Chianti / Bardolino
Crab / Prawn / Shrimp Cocktail --- White Mâcon / Dry White Bordeaux Sauvignon / Dry Jurançon / Fiefs Vendéens Blanc / White Zinfandel /Riesling / Chardonnay
Cuisses de Grenouille --- White Corbières
Escargots à la Bourguignone --- Sancerre / Bourgogne Aligoté / Alsace Riesling / Touraine Sauvignon
Foie Gras --- Sauternes / Barsac / Corton-Charlemagne / Alsace Pinot Gris / Monbazillac / Gewürztraminer / Jurançon
Guacamole --- Californian Chardonnay / Mexican Cabernet-Sauvignon
Jambon Braisé --- Alsace Tokay / Red Côte du Rhône / Côte du Roussillon Rosé
Jambon Persillé --- White Chassagne Montrachet / Red Coteaux du Tricastin / Beaujolais
Jambon De Bayonne --- Côte du Rhône-Village / Bordeaux Clairet / Corbières Rosé
Jambon de Sanglier Fumé --- Red Côtes de Saint-Mont / Red Bandol / White Sancerre
Pâté --- Chianti / Valtellina / Mâcon-Village / Graves / Fumé Blanc / Australian Shiraz
Pâté of Chicken --- Pomerol
Pâté of Duck --- Sauterne / Coteaux du Layon / Riesling / Chianti
Pâté of Game --- Bergerac / Cahors / Garrafeira of Central Portugal
Pâté de Lièvre (Hare) --- Red Côtes de Dura / Saumur-Chamigny / Moulin à Vent
Rillettes --- Red Burgundy / Alsace Pinor Noir / Touraine Gamay
Salmon - Fresh --- Champagne / Meursault / Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru / Rheingau Kabinett / Spätlese / Riesling / Chardonnay (Australia or California)
Salmon Eggs --- Haut-Poitou Rosé / Graves Rouge / Côtes du Rhône Rouge
Saucisson --- Côte du Rhône-Villages / Beaujolais / Côte du Roussillon Rosé
Smoked Eel --- Bourgogne Aligoté / fino Sherry
Smoked Haddock --- Gewürztraminer / Alsace Riesling / Spätlese / Chablis
Smoked Mackerel --- Gewürztraminer / Alsace Riesling / Spätlese / Manzanilla Sherry
Smoked Salmon --- Vintage Champagne / Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru / Pouilly-Fumé / Dry Bordeaux Sauvignon / Pfalz / Riesling / Spätlese / Alsace Pinot Gris
Smoked Salmon Eggs --- Champagne / Petit Chablis / Chardonnay
Smoked Trout --- Gewürztraminer / Alsace Riesling / Spätlese / Fumé Blanc from California or New Zealand
Soufflés - Cheese --- Red Burgundy / Red Bordeaux / Alsace Pinot Gris / Cabernet Sauvignon
Soufflés - Fish --- Dry White Burgundy / Dry White Bordeaux / Alsace Pinot Gris / Californian Fumé Blanc / Chardonnay
Soufflé Nantua --- Bâtard-Montrachet / Crozes-Hermitage Blanc / Dry Bergerac
Soufflés - Spinach --- Mâcon-Villages / St-Véran / Jura
Terrine Mercurey / Beaujolais-Villages / Young Saint-Emilion / Californian Cabernet or Zinfandel / Bulgarian or Chilean Cabernet
Terrine - Fish --- Rheingau / Riesling / Spätlese Trocken / Chablis / Sémillon / Chardonnay
Terrine de Foie Blond --- Meursault-Charmes / Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil / Morgon


Soups

Bisque --- Champagne / White Burgundy and Bordeaux / Sauvignon Blanc / Pinot Gris / Australian Chardonnay / Fino Sherry
Bouillabaisse --- White Côte du Roussillon / White Côteaux d'Aix-en-Provence / Muscadet des Coteaux de la Loire / Provence Rosé / Cassis / Verdicchio / Californian Blanc Fumé
Cassoulet --- Cahors / Côtes-du-Frontonnais / Bergerac Rouge / Châteauneuf-du-Pape / Barbaresco Zinfandel
Chowders Gewürztraminer / Riesling / Pinot Gris / Pinot Blanc / Mâcon / Californan or Australian Chardonnay / Fino Sherry / Dry Madeira/Marsala
Goulashsoup --- Hungarian Kadarka / Mavrud from Bulgaria / Cabernet-Sauvignon / Zinfandel / Young Australian Shiraz
Minestrone or other (clear) vegetable soups --- Champagne / Gewürztraminer / Chianti / Rioja / Zinfandel / Chardonnay - Californische or Australian or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc / Fino Sherry
Vegetable soup --- Sancerre / Pouilly-Fumé / Chablis / Gewürztraminer / Chardonnay (Australia or California) / Sauvignon Blanc (California or New Zealand)


Salads

Salad of Fruits de mer --- Champagne / Graves Blanc / Muscadet / Alsace Klener / Pfalz / Riesling Kabinett / Riesling Spätlese / Dry Riesling from Australia or California / Viognier uit Condrieu / Chablis Premier Cru
Salades without or with a light dressing --- Pinot Blanc / Muscadet / Orvieto
Salades with a Vinaigrette --- Chenin Blanc from the Loire / Young Vouvray / Sauvignon from Touraine / Menetou-Salon / Entre-Deux-Mers / Gros-Plant
Salade Niçoise --- Alsace Sylvaner / Red Côtes du Rhône / Provence Rosé / Dâo / Californian Sauvignon Blanc
Salade with Soja --- Alsace Tokay / Clairette from the Languedoc / Muscadet
Caesar Salad --- Pinot Blanc / Muscadet / Orvieto
Chef Salad --- Gewürztraminer / White Bordeaux / White Rhône / White Bourgogne / Rioja / Chardonnay (from Australia or California) / Sauvignon Blanc (California or New Zealand)
Pasta Salad --- Sancerre / Pouilly-Fumé / Albarino / Chardonnay (Australia or California / Sauvignon Blanc (California or New Zealand) / Gewürztraminer / White Bordeaux / White Rhône / White Bourgogne / Fino Sherry


Pizza and Pasta

Pasta Bolognese --- Red Bordeaux / Red Bourgogne / Beaujolais / Côte du Rhône / Chianti / Pinot Noir / Barbera / Sangiovese (New World) / Merlot (Italy or Chili) / Ribera del Duero / Brunello di Montalcino
Risotto --- Dianco di Custozza / Trebbiano d'Abruzzo / Pinot Grigio / Gavi / Chianti / Grüner Veltiner / Dolcetto / Bardolino / Rioja / Albarino / Sancerre / Pouilly-Fumé / White Bordeaux / White Rhône / White Bourgogne / Chardonnay (Australia or California) / Sauvignon Blanc (California or New Zealand) / Gewürztraminer
Pizza --- Dry Red Sicilian wines / Chianti / Corbières / Roussillon / Coteaux-du-Lubéron / Rosé or Red wine from Aix-en-Provence / Red Bairrada / Rioja / Australian Shiraz / Californian Zinfandel


Deserts

Apple --- Savennières / Chardonnay
Apple Pie / Apfelstrudel --- Riesling Auslese / Trockenbeerenauslese / Hungarian Tokji Aszú
Brioche --- Rivesaltes Rouge / Muscat from Beaumes-de-Venise / Alsace Vendanges Tardives
Cakes, Pastries --- Sauternes / Maury / Muscat / Medium Champagne / Clairette de Die / Vin Santo / Bual or Malmsey Madeira / Oloroso or Cream Sherry Savennières / Alsace Vendanges Tardives / Juraçon Charlotte --- Muscat / Moscatel
Cheese Cake --- Sweet Vouvray / Coteaux-du-Layon / Sweet Anjou
Chocolate Cakes --- Banyuls Grand Cru / Pineau des Charentes Rosé / Maury / Muscat / Port / Macvin from Jura / Recioto della Valpolicella / Bual Madeira / Málaga / Greek Mavrodaphne / Huxelrebe Auslese / Beaumes-de-Venise
Creams and Custards --- Sauternes / Monbazillac / Coteaux du Layon-Villages / Muscat from Saint-Jean de Minervois / Tokay / Beerenauslese / Loupiac / Sainte-Croix-du-Mont / Late-Harvest Riesling or Gewürztraminer / Oloroso Sweet Sherry / Madère / Marsala
Crème Brûlée --- Sauternes / Monbazillac / Late-Harvest Riesling or Gewürztraminer / Tokay / Beerenauslese / Loupiac / Sainte-Croix-du-Mont / Oloroso Sweet Sherry / Madère / Marsala
Crêpes Suzette --- Sweet Champagne / Asti Spumante
Christmas Pudding --- Tawny Port / Cream Sherry / Asti / Vin Santo / Medium Dry Champagne / Clairette de Die Tradition
Far Breton --- Anjou Coteaux de La Loire / Cadillac / Pineau des Charentes
Fraisier, Strawberry Cakes --- Muscat de Rivesaltes Fresh Fruits --- Sauternes / Barsac / Monbazillac / Sweet Vouvray / Coteaux-du-Layon / Late-Harvest Riesling or Gewürztraminer / Sweet or Liqueur Muscat or Auslese / Amontillado Sherry
Melon --- Ruby Port / Sercial or Bual Madère / Orvieto Abboccato
Icecream, Sorbet --- Sauternes / Muscat / Late-Harvest Riesling or Gewürztraminer / Amontillado Sherry /Vin Santo
Tarte au Citron --- Cérons / Rivesaltes Blanc /Alsace Sélection de Grains Nobles

...

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Difficult to choose the right wine with your Christmas dishes?

We have some suggestions.
In general you better keep it simple. A beautiful wine deserves a place in the spotlight, don´t make the wine disappear behind a complicated dish with many ingredients.

If you serve your meat with fruit or compote, be careful with wines that are high in tannins. You better choose a wine with roundness, for instance a wine that is made of the merlot grape, like a Saint-Emilion or Pomerol. A softer Burgundy is also a very good possibility, just like a Cru du Beaujolais.
It is common in Germany to accompany Christmas dishes that have often sweet and fruity side-plates with round and somewhat sweet white wines.

If there is vinegar in the recipe be careful: vinegar is a killer for many red wines.

Vegetables: sprouts flatter red wine.

Meat or fish in a sauce: the ingredients of the sauce often determine the type of taste more than the meat or fish itself. Use the sauce as the guideline in your choice of the wine.
Sauce based on cream or roux: Chardonnay
Sauce with wine as an ingredient: the same wine or in any case the same wine colour.

Game:

Hare, wild rabbit, sanglier, deer:
- the more powerful Burgundies, like Gevrey-Chambertin, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Aloxe-Corton.
- Bordeaux: Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac of Pomerol. Hare and Pomerol are a classic combination.
Hare and sanglier go well with Fronsac (and Canon-Fronsac) and Côtes de Bourg.
- The Northern Rhônewines Cornas, Saint-Joseph, Côte Rôtie and Hermitage.
- Spain: the wines made of the tempranillo grape.
- Other wine areas/Chile, South-Africa or Australia: Wine made of cabernet sauvignon and syrah.

Feathered game: feasant, grouse, chicken, turkey, quail, and tame rabbit :
-the more deicate and feminin Burgundy wines like Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and Volnay.
- Bordeaux: Margaux , Saint-Julien, a ripe Saint-Emilion, Graves and Pessac-Léognan.

Turkey: if you want to drink white wine, choose a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or a white Burgundy. If you prefer a sweeter white wine, take White Zinfandel, the more spicy Gewurztramineror a slightly sweet Riesling

Red wine to accompany turkey: a lightly chilled Pinot Noir is perfect.
Chicken or other birds: white wine, especially the more voluptuous chardonnays.
But we also like a lighter red wine or a wite wine with our chicken. If the recipe results in a more roasted taste you can choose a firmer red wine.
A more neutral recipe will go better with a Vouvray or Sancerre, even with Champagne.

Indian chicken dishes: a fruity Beaujolais, like Fleurie, Juliénas, Brouilly or Chiroubles. Or rosé or a white Alsace that has herbal notes.

Voor pigeon and duck are more powerful dishes, and go well with a Graves or a Madiran.
Duck combined with orange: Cotes du Rhône.