With the holiday season getting underway, you may well be thinking about the best champagnes to accompany your celebrations. The doyenne of festive drinks, fizzy and light, champagne is synonymous with the generous indulgence of the holiday season.

Don’t be lulled into thinking festive fizz is just an aperitif. The best bubbles can provide the perfect backdrop for a wide range of dishes. Whether you are looking for a champagne to sip solo, toast your friends, or to pair with dessert, here are nine that are guaranteed to delight.

Dom Pérignon: Brut Vintage 2012

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The original: “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” — Dom Pérignon famously said upon discovering champagne. And it doesn’t get more luxurious than this. Perhaps the most famous Champagne in the world, this festive drink is one to be treasured and enjoyed on the most special of occasions.

Each vintage is a creation, singular and unique, and expresses both the character of the year, and the character of Dom Pérignon. The most recent release is the 2012 vintage (£220/$250), described as having a unique structure, channeled by acidity and bitterness that burst forth magnificently. The finish is marked by ginger, tobacco and toasted accents.

 Laurent-Perrier: Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature

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Delicious with seafood: Whatever you serve at the festive dinner table, salmon, oysters and other seafood make for a decadent treat. Fresh and light, the forte of a Blanc de Blancs is that it can be used widely and served as more than an aperitif.  For the best bubbles, try Laurent-Perrier’s dry and intensely fruity Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature (£80/$100). It’s simply divine with oysters.

Related content: The Luxury Gold festive gift guide for the travel lover in your life

Pol Roger: Sir Winston Churchill 2013

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A real treat with cheese: Cheese and champagne may be debated, but for many it is a match made in heaven. For a truly decadent treat choose a Pol Roger, one of the world’s finest Champagnes. The drink’s crisp acidity and fluffy mouse is said to lighten the fattiness of the cheeses, without overpowering them aromatically. Hard mature cheeses deserve a powerful cuvée, so go all out for a bottle of Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2013 (£380/$460).

Drappier: Carte d’Or

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A more affordable cheese accompaniment: Renowned for its versatility, Drappier’s Carte d’Or (£55/$65) is another of the best Champagnes to pair with cheese. It offers a distinctive flavor with aromatic notes such as peaches, almonds, or orange peels. According to its makers, the original yellow tone of Carte d’Or stems from the quince, often used with a cheese board. Old Comté and Chaource make the perfect companions to Carte d’Or, and the perfect way to celebrate the holidays.

Related content: Christmas on the tracks: 7 of the world’s most beautiful train journeys

Piper Heidseck: Sublime Demi-Sec NV

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Perfect with dessert: Matching dessert and Champagne is where your need to exercise caution, as most are too dry for truly sweet dishes. One of the best Champagnes is Piper-Heidsieck’s long-aged Sublime Demi-Sec NV (£55/$65). Generous with glorious burned-sugar aromatics, it is recommended to be served with a burnt crème brûlée.

Krug: Grande Cuvée Brut

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To raise a toast: For a toast to the season, or simply enjoyed for what it is, the Krug Grande Cuvée Brut (£180/$220) deserves to be appreciated entirely on its own. A glorious full-bodied Champagne, made with a blend of nearly 200 wines, it is perfect for those who prefer bubbles with a rounder flavor profile. It is rich with stone fruit and citrus, with just an edge of spice and hint of chocolate. In the words of Krug, enjoy craftsmanship without compromise. Pleasure beyond perfection. One of the world’s best champagnes.

Related content: Where to find the most rare and expensive food in the world

Pol Roger: Brut Réserve

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For the sunshine: Perfect anywhere, especially if you are spending the holiday season in the sunshine. This champagne smells of wildflowers, green apples, croissants and mineral touches. It tastes of peach, hazelnuts and honey, supporting the freshness of acidity. One of the best bubbles, try the stylish Brut Reserve (£180/$220).

Henri Giraud: Dame Jane Rosé

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Best of the Rosé: Rosé Champagne offers a wealth of versatility in terms of food pairing. Yet it is traditionally the most misunderstood of Champagne’s styles. The pink color encourages sweet, romantic connotations rather than vinous and gastronomic ones, however, there is so much to explore. Bursting with power and character, Henri Giraud’s sandstone-amphorae-fermented Dame-Jane Rosé NV (£65/$80) matches impeccably with charcuterie and roasted root vegetables.

Möet & Chandon: Brut Imperial

Best magnum for big gatherings: If your holiday season means big family gatherings, a magnum is perfect for furnishing loved ones with festive drinks. And Möet & Chandon Brut Imperial is one of the best champagnes you can offer. Described as having vibrant notes of apple and citrus fruits, accompanied by aromas of brioche and fresh nuts, typical of the aging process. On the palate, it is generous and subtle.

For the ultimate luxurious vacation experience and exceptional personalized travel, take a look at our collection of limited edition worldwide tours.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, we found ourselves in need of a festive gift guide for the travelers in our lives. We’ve searched the globe and scoured the web for our favorite types of gifts so you can tailor the selection to your traveler, and add a few of our personal favorites. If you’re stumped on what to give to a travel lover, you’ve come to the right place.   

Luggage presents for a traveler 

You can’t go wrong with a classic. Every world traveler needs luggage. And this season’s options are more stylish than ever. We love a hardback suitcase that makes traveling that much smoother. For weekend getaways and overnight trips, a leather duffel bag helps your traveler enjoy a short trip with only the essentials. For days trips, make sure the traveler in your life is ready for anything with a stylish leather backpack or day bag. When you’re gifting the ultimate jetsetter, a quality passport holder is key for protecting this important document. If you’re looking for a fun stocking stuffer, pick up a set of leather luggage tags. It’s a must-have and your traveler will think of you on their next great adventure. Still searching? Take a look at more of our recommended luggage. 

Luxe travel accessories 

In search of Christmas gifts for a traveler who loves to fly? We’ve found a handful of luxurious accessories we’d personally like to have on our next red-eye flight. A set of noise-cancelling headphones is a must for any frequent flier. They’re ideal for listening to favorite tunes or simply blocking out the din of the cabin. Help your friends and family still feel luxurious while traveling with silk accessories. Or, help them get extra cozy with a cashmere traveler set – a gift that will take them from in-flight to in their hotel room in ultimate comfort. We’ve craving this set that includes a sleep mask and pillow. A compact grooming kit is ideal for keeping up your look as you go. And if you’re looking for a gift that specifically fights jetlag, we’ve curated a collection of high-tech products.  

Gifts to make their life easier 

Any avid traveler knows there are aspects to travel that can get tough. From delays and tech troubles to language barriers and culture miscommunications, we could all use a few more tools in our toolbox to improve our world travels. Our festive gift guide includes a portable water purifier that may not be the first gift that comes to mind for the luxury traveler, but will come in handy. So many bucket list locations and sought-after destinations require filtered water, and this on-the-go purifier is just the thing when you’re on the go. On the techier side, why not help your traveler stay charged and connected with a portable charger? We are also fans of this sleek translator. No more flipping through dictionaries or searching online. Lastly, we’re fans of Tile Mate, a small device you attach to your luggage, bag or even keys to track its location. Then simply use their app to locate your item and say goodbye to lost luggage. 

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You can take it with you 

Some of our favorite luxury gifts for travelers are not things you think they need, but decadent gifts they’ll appreciate. This collection of pampering presents will make their hotel room feel like home—maybe even a little more luxurious. If you know their favorite scent, pick up a small fancy candle they can enjoy during their trip. The familiar aroma will remind them of home, and it won’t take up space in their luggage on their return trip. You can also delight their senses with a perfume and body lotion set in their favorite fragrance. For lounging in between adventures, a silk robe and elegant pair of velvet slippers will feel like the ultimate luxury.  

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Travel the world in gifts 

One of our go-tos is a gift from a destination your traveler has just been to or is traveling to next. But no terrible snow globes, magnets and spoons here. For example, your friend who just got back from Italy will be reminded of la dolce vita with a leather coin purse or silk scarf. And nothing says luxe like a Swiss watch. Delight their taste buds with a bottle of wine from one of their favorite spots or destinations. Your Francophile friend will enjoy a bottle of Champagne. Scotch whiskey is a classic choice, and Japanese sake with have them armchair traveling with every sip. 

From the practical to the pampering, our festive gift guide encourages you to have fun being creative with your gifts for the traveler in your life. Do you have more luxe gift ideas? Leave a comment. 

Seeking out the most expensive food in the world is a decadent way to travel. Fortunately, journeys with Luxury Gold can take you to far-flung corners of the globe where some of the most expensive food in the world originates, and sometimes, is found right on your plate. 

If you find yourself asking “What is the most expensive food in the world?” look no further. From wagyu beef to white truffles, here are some of our favorite foods and destinations to sample the world’s finest flavors and fare.  

The most expensive food in Italy  

You can find the expensive and sought-after white truffle in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. White truffles are harder to find compared to other truffles because they only grow near certain types of trees. But the discovery is well worth it for their powerful flavor and aroma. On our Ultimate Italy tour, you’ll embark on a foraging trip for these aromatic truffles guided by an expert truffle dog. 

Italy’s prized, and often high-priced, olive oil is yet another reason to live la dolce vita with us. In Umbria, sample specialties such as fresh truffle-infused cured meats and regional olive oils with the help of a local gourmand who’s eager to share the roots of Umbrian cuisine from the region’s lakes, deep forests and rich earth.  

Spain & Portugal 

Take your taste buds from the delicacies of Italy to the finest meats of Spain and Portugal. One of the most expensive foods in the world is Iberico ham, a type of cured meat from Spain and Portugal. The best quality Iberico ham comes from free-range Iberico pigs that eat a diet of acorns as they roam about oak forests in the final years of their lives. Some of the very best Iberico ham is labeled black label – look for pata negra in Spain or porco preto in Portugal. Explore Spain & Portugal in Style, or book a luxury trip to Spain with us, enjoying fine dining in restaurants such as Michelin-starred L’Antic Moli in search of this expensive meat.

Croatia 

To indulge in the bounty of the sea, journey to Croatia to savor one of the world’s most expensive and luxurious foods: oysters. In the quiet fishing village of Mali Ston, sample fresh, briny oysters just out of the water that thrive in this salt-rich channel.  

Japan by land…

Leave Europe behind and jet off to Japan with us to discover the country that boasts some of the most expensive food in the world. One of Japan’s most well-known and high-priced foods is the famed Kobe beef. This marbled, rich type of Wagyu beef comes from one type of cattle breed in the Hyogo Prefecture. The regulations around the authenticity of Kobe beef make it more difficult and expensive to find. So, why not seek it out on your travels?   

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Beyond beef, Japan has many of the world’s most expensive foods such as Hokkaido’s rare black watermelon, which needs several months and plenty of space to grow. This fancy fruit can only be purchased at auctions and can fetch around $6,000. Japan has also become known for producing the rare, and increasingly harder-to-find, Matsutake Mushroom. 

And sea… 

The waters of Japan also produce some of the world’s most expensive foods. You may be familiar with Fugu, the most dangerous dish on the planet. Strictly controlled by Japanese law, Fugu is lethal if not prepared correctly. Chefs must have years of training before they can prepare it. Japan’s Bluefin tuna is also among the most expensive seafood in the world. Its high cost is due to intense marbling and finely balanced flavors. 

New Zealand  

From rich waters to bountiful earth, venture to The Land of the Long White Cloud for Manuka Honey. This sweet substance native to New Zealand comes from the Manuka Bush and is known for its healing properties. The honey’s antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits can cost around $500 per kilogram when purchasing the highest grade. Even if you’re unable to sample this sweet nectar, our New Zealand itineraries offer plenty of rich, nature-focused experiences to write home about. 

Madagascar 

For an extravagant sweet finish, we take you to Madagascar for another of the most expensive foods in the world: vanilla. This island off mainland Africa produces vanilla pods that can fetch up to $600 per pound. The high price is partly due to the intensive labor required. On the single day that vanilla blooms the pollination must be done by hand. Journey to Africa with us to discover more tastes and treasures. If you’re able to procure this prized vanilla, just imagine what pastries you could whip up! 

Whether you’re in search of Australia’s fine wine or farm-fresh, authentic fare in Ireland, there’s a Luxury Gold journey for every palate.