Date of publication 01/10/2026
Pure pleasure How to pair Champagne with the sea
Flavors and recipes around luxury: how to pair champagne with the sea, for lovers of good food.
Champagne, 5-star hotels by the sea and... nothing else. If your idea of a beach vacation includes moments of toasting and celebration, our destinations let you bring both pleasures together while you unwind.
A passion once confined to a small circle of connoisseurs has found its way into beach clubs and seaside bars, from the world of wineries to creative cuisine enjoyed and shared by the water. Below, we explore why Champagne has found a natural home on the beach. We look at the different styles and grape varieties, as well as how best to enjoy it (the glass and temperature are key). Pairing it with relaxed seaside cuisine creates the perfect connection with our beachfront resorts in Mediterranean destinations such as Marbella, Mallorca and Ibiza, and in the Caribbean, the Riviera Maya.
Why Champagne has found a natural home on the beach
The drink that makes summer last beyond the season
People are drinking more Champagne, and better Champagne. A glass at breakfast, with an aperitif (in the sun, if possible), alongside almost any lunch and, why not, a small bottle in the afternoon before the golden hour of sunset arrives. Yet beyond its versatility at any time of day, Champagne has also claimed its place throughout the year. Travel to coastal destinations has taken sparkling wine beyond the traditional summer season.
Then, of course, there is the atmosphere: that savoir-vivre that has made its way to the beach, lighting up the setting and turning the sea into a natural backdrop for raising a glass of the sparkling wine par excellence. Book Star Prestige at our hotels and enjoy private adults-only areas overlooking the shore, the perfect place to savor a good Champagne.
Less etiquette, more pleasure
The toast you deserve leaves rigid conventions behind and adapts to you, with all the freedom and time in the world. In a relaxed setting, Champagne follows just one rule: pleasure. What matters is life, the company you keep, the present moment. Or, in the words of Fernando Angulo of Alba Viticultores: "Why Champagne? Because it is temptation and indulgence, melodies of seduction; an endless dream you never want to wake from. It should be enjoyed with care and respect for those who worked the vines, always in good company, both good people and good food. It should be drunk moderately and immoderately, without dwelling on anything unpleasant, simply giving in to a wave of pleasure, to that breeze that comes from the north and so often ends in the south."
Types of Champagne and their grape varieties
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
Our 5-star hotels feature specialized spaces where you can taste and discover different styles of Champagne. To talk about Champagne is to talk about terroir and viticulture, about the fruit of the vine. Whenever you order a glass, you will be choosing among its three classic grape varieties. First comes Chardonnay, the queen of white grapes, partly because few varieties express respect for terroir quite so clearly.
Next is Pinot Noir, the dream of every wine enthusiast. It is the most difficult, temperamental and demanding of the three, but also perhaps the most sensory. It may well be the best suited to pairing with a fine dining menu. Pinot Meunier is perhaps the least celebrated, which is precisely why it may surprise you most.
Brut nature, brut and sec: a question of sugar
Champagne opens up a whole world of flavors and nuances, every bit as varied as the world of cocktails. When it comes to classifying bottles by sweetness level, many experts favor brut nature. Brut nature, brut, and sec refer to the amount of dosage, or sugar, added to the fermented wine. The first contains less than three grams per liter, the second less than fifteen, while the last can contain up to 35 grams.
Blanc de blancs, rosé, and other labels
When it comes to the color of Champagne, which comes from the juice used in fermentation, social media trends have helped make rosé especially popular. Yet many winemakers consider it less complex and pure than blanc de blancs, made exclusively from white grapes. Another style is blanc de noirs, made from red grapes with white flesh.
How to serve Champagne by the sea
The ideal glass: flute or Burgundy
In the popular imagination, this style of wine is closely associated with one particular glass: the flute. There is good reason for this connection: its slender shape helps preserve the carbon dioxide, the secret behind Champagne's bubbles. Still, another school of thought favors the wider, bowl-shaped Burgundy wine glass, which gives more aromatic wines room to breathe. Major Champagne houses, along with many sommeliers at renowned restaurants, believe the era of the flute is coming to an end.
David Robledo, winner of Spain's National Gastronomy Award and recognized several times as the country's best sommelier, explains: "I think Champagne is a wine (sparkling, yes, but still a wine), so it should be served in a wine glass. I don't like flutes at all because they don't let you enjoy Champagne as it deserves." Your attitude, and the sense of pleasure and well-being you bring to the moment, will do the rest.
The perfect serving temperature
As for serving temperature, some experts agree on 45°F even in hot weather, so the Champagne retains its flavors and nuances. Especially in summer and at the beach, though, many prefer to drink it at around 37°F. David Robledo is hesitant about this approach: "The best way to enjoy it is cold, but never ice-cold."
Jorge Dávila, winner of Spain's National Gastronomy Award and former head of dining room at A'Barra restaurant, believes it is time to move beyond old assumptions: "Fortunately, all the stereotypes surrounding these wines have also been broken, particularly when it comes to fundamental details such as temperature (the colder they are, the more of their qualities we lose; I like to drink them between 50°F and 54°F) and food pairings. Champagne can no longer be thought of as something reserved for an aperitif or dessert. Everyone now understands that it works beautifully with any dish."
How to pair Champagne with seaside cuisine
Cold pairings: sushi, salmon and salads
Fewer myths, more enjoyment, with bubbles on the sand, leisurely plans and time to disconnect at 5-star hotels. Robledo believes this sparkling wine is better thought of in terms of harmony than conventional food pairing: "From a gastronomic point of view, it is a sommelier's great ally, especially because of its versatility. It is perfect throughout an entire meal, from the aperitif to dessert, and also for guests who prefer not to mix several wines during the same meal. It can even solve some of the challenges posed by difficult dishes such as asparagus, salads or creamy soups."
Applied to the coast, whether at a beach picnic or a beach club, Jean Pierre Semal, former sommelier at the Ocean Club in Marbella, has a favorite combination: "I always recommend it with cold food: sushi, salmon, salads."
From the aperitif to dessert
At sunset. Over lunch or dinner, from the aperitif through dessert. Champagne lends itself to all kinds of pairings, without paying much attention to clocks or boundaries. At aperitif time, it can help whet the appetite and set the mood for the meal ahead. Paired with sweet flavors, its bitter notes become more pronounced while the food tastes "sweeter" on the palate through contrast.
Where to enjoy Champagne by the sea with Iberostar
By the sea at Iberostar Selection Marbella Coral Beach
Iberostar Selection Marbella Coral Beach is one of those 4-star hotels in Marbella where Champagne can be enjoyed without ceremony. Its beach club, Chambao by the Sea, is made for raising a glass overlooking the water. For Jean Pierre Semal, who worked as a sommelier with the hotel's creative culinary team, "it's a combination of the weather, the beach and the atmosphere... that's the Champagne vibe. Champagne is something the beach had been missing for years."
Beach clubs and sunsets at other resorts
If you are looking for 5-star hotels in Mallorca where you can celebrate life and your vacation, the sunset rituals at Iberostar Selection Es Trenc unfold on a rooftop with panoramic views of the Mediterranean and the setting sun. Its infinity pool, like every guest room, looks directly out over the sea and the beautiful Es Trenc beach.
Set in the Es Canar area, Iberostar Selection Santa Eulalia Ibiza is one of the standout 4-star hotels in Ibiza for discovering the island's quieter, more sensory side. Its dining experience includes moments of happiness and bubbles at the pool bar and chill-out bar, beside the infinity pool, or in the privacy of a room with an outdoor whirlpool tub.
In the Caribbean, 5-star hotels in the Riviera Maya such as JOIA Paraíso by Iberostar bring a different character to a vacation through personalized service and creative cuisine. Some of its suites and villas include butler service, while all offer the chance to enjoy Champagne with direct access to a turquoise-water beach.
Experience the pleasure of Champagne and the sea with Iberostar
The pleasure of Champagne and the sea comes down, above all, to the freedom to enjoy it your way. Every moment and every destination can match your energy from the very first sip: the choice is yours. They can also bring you closer to an atmosphere of relaxation, warmth, and genuine hospitality, leaving strict protocols behind. Discover Iberostar's 5-star hotels and start planning your next toast on your own terms.
