New Year’s Eve is the one night of the year when popping a cork feels almost compulsory. But should you choose Champagne, Prosecco or something different? And what should you serve with the canapés, the dinner and the midnight toast? Here’s how to pick the best wine for New Year’s Eve, whatever your budget, plus a few easy Champagne cocktails to see in the new year.
What wine should you drink on New Year’s Eve?
Sparkling wine is the classic choice, but it’s not the only one. Here are our top picks:
- For the midnight toast: Champagne or English sparkling wine
- For a big party on a budget: Prosecco, Cava or Crémant
- For canapés and seafood: a Brut Champagne or a Blanc de Blancs
- For a festive cocktail: a dry Cava or Crémant in a Kir Royale
- For dinner: a Pinot Noir or a rich Chardonnay
- For dessert: a Demi-Sec Champagne or a sweet Moscato d’Asti
Which sparkling wine should you choose?
Champagne
Nothing says celebration quite like Champagne. Made with the traditional method, with a second fermentation in the bottle, it has fine bubbles and toasty, biscuity notes from ageing on its lees. A non-vintage Brut is the most versatile choice for the evening.
English sparkling wine
Made with the same grapes and method as Champagne, English sparkling wine is crisp, elegant and a lovely way to surprise your guests, especially if you’re celebrating in the UK.
Crémant and Cava
Crémant, from French regions like the Loire, Alsace and Burgundy, and Spanish Cava are also made with the traditional method, but usually cost much less than Champagne. They’re perfect when you need several bottles. Find out how they’re made in our guide to how sparkling wine is made.
Prosecco
Light, fruity and easy to drink, Prosecco is a crowd-pleaser for parties, with fresh pear and apple notes. It’s made in large tanks rather than in the bottle, which keeps it fruity and affordable. Not sure which to choose? See our guide to Champagne vs Prosecco.
What’s the best sparkling wine for your budget?
Budget-friendly
For a large party, Prosecco, Cava and Crémant offer the best value. A Crémant de Loire or a Crémant d’Alsace often tastes surprisingly close to Champagne for a fraction of the price.
Mid-range
A non-vintage Champagne from a well-known house, a smaller grower Champagne or a good English sparkling wine is ideal for the midnight toast. They’re worth saving for the moment everyone raises a glass.
Splurge
For a special celebration, treat yourself to a vintage Champagne, made from a single year’s harvest, or a magnum, which is perfect for sharing and keeps the wine fresher for longer.
What wine goes with New Year’s Eve party food?
Canapés and nibbles
Salty snacks like crisps, olives and cheese straws are wonderful with sparkling wine: the bubbles and acidity refresh your palate between bites. A Brut Champagne, a Cava or a Crémant are all great matches.
Smoked salmon and blinis
Smoked salmon blinis are a New Year’s classic. A crisp Blanc de Blancs, made only from Chardonnay, has the lemony freshness to cut through the rich salmon and crème fraîche.
Oysters and seafood
Oysters with mignonette and prawns love a dry, mineral wine. Try a Brut Champagne, a Chablis or a Muscadet. For more ideas, see our guide to wine with fish.
Cheese board
A cheese board is perfect for a relaxed New Year’s Eve. Start with a sparkling wine for the soft cheeses and finish with a glass of Port for the Stilton. Find more matches in our guide to wine and cheese pairing.
Desserts and chocolate
A dry Brut can taste sharp with sweet desserts, so choose a sweeter sparkling wine, like a Demi-Sec Champagne or a Moscato d’Asti. With chocolate truffles or a chocolate dessert, a sweet red like a Ruby Port or a Banyuls also works well. Discover more in our guides to dessert wine and wine with chocolate.
What Champagne cocktails can you make?
You don’t need an expensive bottle for cocktails: a dry Cava or Crémant works just as well.
Kir Royale
Pour a splash of crème de cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur, into a glass and top up with chilled sparkling wine. It’s simple, pretty and ready in seconds.
Classic Champagne cocktail
Place a sugar cube in a glass, soak it with a few drops of Angostura bitters, add a splash of Cognac and top up with Champagne. The sugar slowly dissolves as you drink.
French 75
Shake gin, fresh lemon juice and a little sugar syrup with ice, strain into a glass and top up with Champagne. It’s fresh, zesty and a little stronger than it looks.
Mimosa
Perfect for New Year’s Day brunch, a mimosa mixes equal parts chilled orange juice and sparkling wine. Its British cousin, the Buck’s Fizz, uses more fizz than juice.
What wine goes with a New Year’s Eve dinner?
If you’re hosting a dinner before midnight, Champagne can actually work through the whole meal. Otherwise, match the wine to the main course: a Pinot Noir or a red Bordeaux with beef (see our guide to wine with steak), a Chablis or a white Burgundy with fish, and a rich Chardonnay with roast chicken. For more festive ideas, see our Christmas wine pairing guide.
How do you serve Champagne at midnight?
Chill the bottles well in advance, to around 6–10°C. Our wine serving temperature guide has the details. Keep them in an ice bucket filled with ice and water, so they stay cold until midnight.
Open the bottle slowly, holding the cork and turning the bottle rather than the cork, so it releases with a gentle sigh instead of a loud pop. Pour into tulip-shaped glasses rather than coupes, which let the bubbles disappear quickly. Find out why in our guide to types of wine glasses.
Opened a bottle too many? With a sparkling wine stopper, it will keep its bubbles in the fridge for a day or two. Find out more in our guide on how long wine lasts once opened.
FAQ
How many bottles do you need for a New Year’s Eve party?
A standard 75cl bottle gives about six glasses. As a rough guide, plan on half a bottle per guest for the evening, plus one glass each for the midnight toast.
Champagne or Prosecco for New Year’s Eve?
Champagne is richer and more complex, so it’s perfect for the toast at midnight. Prosecco is lighter and cheaper, which makes it ideal for a big party or for cocktails.
How long does it take to chill Champagne?
About 3 hours in the fridge, or 20 to 30 minutes in an ice bucket filled with ice and water. Avoid the freezer, as a forgotten bottle can burst.
What can you serve instead of alcohol?
Alcohol-free sparkling wines are now widely available and taste surprisingly festive. Sparkling elderflower or a fruity mocktail topped with soda are also great options.
