Marta Rich works in our Digital Trading team. Every Christmas, she travels home to Washington D.C. to celebrate with her family. There is one tradition she looks forward to, most of all: the sharing of a magnificent cheeseboard, alongside delicious Champagnes.  

In my household, the Christmas season is centred around traditional dishes from my parents’ European and American heritages. But there is one meal, in particular, that we are all equally devoted to: an impeccably constructed cheeseboard.  

Christmas Day is always an early start, with steaming cups of hot chocolate for me and black coffee for my parents, sitting cross-legged and huddled around the tree exchanging presents and watching our two cats frolic in the wrapping paper. We all have our ceremonial plate of a traditional Panettone – meticulously chosen by my mother weeks before – but before long, we are waiting for the real feast to begin.  

Since moving to the UK when I was 18 for university, one of the token “British things” I have been bringing back to the suburbs of Washington D.C. is a delicious and sweetly packaged potted Stilton. This, along with a colourfully waxed Cheddar truckle and a variety of chutneys – recently the favourite has been a caramelised onion marmalade – are ceremonial presents for my father, who upon opening, officially begins the creation of our cheeseboard. 

Our Christmas Day cheeseboard is a collaborative family effort, and the result of countless grocery store visits, trial cheese-and-cracker pairings throughout the year, and vigorous samplings of other charcuterie staples. This spread is no laughing matter; the 2023 Christmas Day cheeseboard stretched across our entire kitchen island, and we even needed to write down the names of each one to remember the extent of our offering. Picture carefully mapped-out groupings of soft Brillat-Savarin, sharp Neal’s Yard Cheddars and a Humboldt Fog from California. These are surrounded by wafer-thin water crackers, rosemary and truffle assorted nuts, slivered Marcona almonds, pecans roasted in butter and tossed in our local Old Bay seasoning. A line-up of English jams. Among all these delicious treats, our potted Stilton sits proudly in the centre.  

Now what else is there to drink at 10 o’clock in the morning, surrounded by the very finest cheeses, than Champagne? Like the charcuterie, our selection of sparkling varies from year to year; as a family, we’re passionate about exploring everything this magnificent region has to offer. Champagne is one of my preferred wines to drink at any point in the year, but I always look forward to taking that first deep inhale of the glass on Christmas morning, breathing in all those delicious toasty biscuity notes.  

Here are some of the highlights we’ve had over the years. The Champagne Pol Roger, Réserve, Brut is everything I want from a Champagne. Brilliant sparkling bubbles, toasted brioche, and crisp orchard fruit: sipping this in one hand with a Stilton-and-chutney laden cracker in the other is exactly what Champagne dreams are made of.  

One of my mother’s longtime favourites is the ever-elegant Champagne Billecart-Salmon, Réserve, Brut. Full-bodied with ripe and cooked fruits, our mouths begin to water at the pop of the Billecart’s cork. It has delicious pastry notes, and a distinct silky creaminess, making this a Champagne of wonderful richness and balance. Each sip is absolutely magical.  

Then, there’s the glamorous 2015 Champagne Louis Roederer, Rosé, Brut. While our Stilton has undoubtedly been the star of the show each year, this Champagne is definitely the main contender for “Christmas Day diva”. This is my favourite kind of rosé: bursting with red berries, peach, and citrus fruits, but bone dry. This is the perfect wine to cut through our magnificent cheeseboard.  

While not technically a meal, I always look forward to this Christmas morning tradition. All the preparations – like braving Fortnum & Mason at rush hour during peak season to purchase the Stilton – officially mark the Christmas season for me each year, counting down the days until I am with my family celebrating. Toasting with our Champagne on Christmas morning is a celebration of the year that has passed, but also something of an auspicious act, ushering in some good luck for the new year.