The Best Champagnes for Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Beyond

Words by Louise Springham and Emilie Dock

6th November 2026

We can all agree that celebrations, big or small, call for bubbles. And none more so than Christmas. The question, then, isn’t should we pop a cork, but which bottle is best? With this in mind, our resident Champagne buyer (and newly qualified Master of Wine), Alice Archer, has handpicked a toast-worthy selection to suit every occasion from Christmas to New Year’s – whether it’s an impromptu indulgence, a gift for a collector or a truly showstopping party.

For the finer points of drinking fizz, from the difference between Brut and Doux to the maisons to know, explore The Harrods Guide to Champagne.

Champagne isn’t just for grand toasts and glittering parties – it’s a pleasure worth savouring in smaller moments, too. Non-vintage (NV) bottles, blended across multiple harvests to maintain a house style, offer a more accessible way to enjoy its effervescence any day of the week. 

Harrods Brut Premier Cru Champagne NV 

Your best friends have popped round. Your favourite song starts playing. Pop the cork on a bottle of Harrods Brut. Dry, light- to medium-bodied, with fine citrus notes, it’s a wonderful apéritif, produced by the fifth-generation Laurent Hostomme family. And if you fancy something lighter alongside rich festive fare, our Blanc de Blanc is a wonderfully crisp alternative.

Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial Non-Vintage Champagne

Hosting a cheese and wine night? Pour a glass of Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial NV – its crisp, fruity notes beautifully complement mild, creamy cheeses such as Brie. If you prefer something drier with mineral flavours and a chalky sensation, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV is a refreshing match for crispy, golden fish and chips.

For Christmas, New Year or life’s milestone moments, only a prestige or special vintage Champagne will do. Crafted from a single exceptional harvest rather than a blend of years, these top-tier cuvées undergo extended ageing, often for a decade or more, to develop extraordinary depth, complexity and the finest of mousses. 

Dom Pérignon Vintage 2018

Among the most revered prestige Champagnes, Dom Pérignon Vintage 2018 is a standout. Its vibrant profile opens with notes of lime and linden blossom before revealing layers of mango, dark chocolate and the house’s signature creamy finish. This is the bottle you tuck away for the festive season’s most important moments.

Harrods Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vintage Champagne 2015

Hailing from the exceptional 2015 vintage, this Blanc de Blancs pairs delicate notes of white flowers and brioche with a long, refined finish. Whether celebrating Christmas Day or raising a glass to a milestone year, it’s a bottle designed to be savoured slowly and deliciously.

If any occasion calls for a bit of theatre, it’s Christmas. And the bottle for the job? It’s got to be a magnum. Pouring 10-12 glasses each, 1.5-litre bottles are perfect for larger gatherings. Not only are they inherently celebratory (and undeniably oooh-inducing), but the size supports slower ageing and greater flavour development.  

Bollinger Special Cuvée NV Magnum 

Pairing well with prawn cocktails, lobster and salmon, as well as a variety of poultry and festive charcuterie, this Special Cuvée NV is the perfect Champagne to serve with canapés at a party. Dry and refined, it offers classic toasty, chalky richness, with a beautifully fine mousse that feels almost velvety on the palate.  

Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2012 Magnum 

Yes, Cristal has a reputation as a party Champagne, and while its gold foil and amber hue lend themselves to celebration, it’s the finesse and subtleties of each vintage that excite critics. The 2012 promises aromas of lemon peel, yellow plum, vanilla and almond, a rich mid-palate of fruit, lively acidity and complexity, and a harmonious finish that seems to go on forever – much like the best soirées.  

We shouldn’t judge books by their covers – but let’s be honest, we all do, don’t we? That’s why, when gifting Champagne this Christmas, paying special attention to the presentation will add a certain je ne sais quoi to an already fantastic gift. 

Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque Rosé 2014 

As pretty bottles go, Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Époque line takes the crown. Named after France’s Golden Age in the 19th century, it’s beautifully adorned with hand-drawn Japanese anemones, thanks to Art Nouveau artist Émile Gallé. Luminous and pale pink in hue, the 2014 rosé is graced with aromas of pomegranate and raspberry.  

Armand De Brignac Brut Gold Champagne

Skip the wrapping: Armand de Brignac Brut Gold comes with the Midas touch built in. Arriving in a gleaming gold bottle housed within an equally striking black lacquered case, it’s made for Christmas gifting. Beneath the gold lies a generous, fruit-led Champagne with notes of apricot, peach and brioche, rounded off by a rich, creamy finish.

The world’s most famous Champagne houses have earned their reputations, but there are plenty of lesser-known bottles worthy of your attention this Christmas. For those looking to discover something new, these rare bottles offer a fresh perspective on Champagne.

Hostomme Vikka Champagne 2010

Aged in the Atlantic Ocean for 12 months, Vikka 2010 is anything but ordinary. Crafted from some of the family’s oldest Chardonnay vines, it opens with distinctive notes of oyster and algae before unfolding into a complex palate defined by remarkable freshness and a saline, mineral intensity.

 Frerejean Frères Cuvée des Hussards 2008 

In 2018, bottles of this vintage were plunged 60 metres beneath the sea off the coast of Brittany, where the cool, stable temperatures and gentle ocean currents created the perfect conditions for maturation. The result? A Champagne with an extraordinary purity, fine bubbles, and a whisper of salinity. 

Champagne may set the benchmark, but these sparkling wines from around the world prove there are plenty more ways to celebrate this festive season.