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Bubbly on a Budget

What has happened to Champagne prices? Last year, my all time favorite, Veuve Clicquot, which in my neck of the woods was going for $24.95 a bottle, is now up to $35.00. Other labels, like Perrier Jouet and Moet, also seem to have been donned for the season with similar price increases. We won’t even begin to talk about the astronomical prices of the vintage Champagnes and prestige cuvees, like Dom Perignon and Cristal.

Most wine stores are attributing these increases to a shortage caused by Millennium demand. Are we so afraid of the Y2K bug that we’re even hoarding our bubbly alongside our bottled water and our cache of cash? Phooey! I think, although I have no proof, that this shortage is artificial and simply an excuse to raise prices and increase profits.

That’s why this year I set out to find some budget alternatives to my favorite labels. As we approach the celebration of the century, I’ll probably break down and buy a bottle or three of Veuve, but for the rest of the holiday season, my bubbly is budget. But “budget” does not necessarily mean abandoning good quality and enjoyment. If it did, I’d rather buy my world a Coke and sing in harmony.

All too often budget alternatives to Champagne are soda-pop sweet or sawdust dry. You know what I mean: that one glass they so ceremoniously pour for “the toast” at huge wedding receptions and office parties. (Ever wonder why all the guests are so eager to sit down and eat right after it?) But without too much effort, you can find wines that are pure pleasure to drink and that will add sparkle to your holiday get-togethers. Here are some guidelines for finding the best values:

Look for domestic wines made by good foreign producers. I have found, at least here in the U.S., that French houses like Moet & Chandon or Taittinger are producing elegant and tasty alternatives to the imports. They have all the hallmarks of a good champagne: good mousse (bubbly foam), fine perlage (steady streams of small to tiny bubbles), and great taste.
Seek out imported sparkling wines that are not Champagne. Remember that “Champagne” is a specific appellation just like “Bordeaux” or “Burgundy.” Wines made with the same or a similar method as Champagne but that come from another district may not legally be called “Champagne,” although they may be kissing cousins. For instance, a Cremant de Bourgogne or a Cotes du Jura is reasonably priced yet still possesses all the old-world style and finesse that we expect from a Champagne.
Look for fine domestic producers. Names like Schramsberg, Iron Horse, Scharffenberger, produce some wonderful sparklers. Granted these producers make some pretty expensive wines as well, but they can be considerably more affordable than imports without sacrificing quality.
Ask your wine merchant. If you have a knowledgeable wine merchant that you trust and who has recommended good selections in the past, ask him or her to suggest a reasonably priced sparkling wine. Be sure to make clear, however, exactly what your tastes are. Do you like your sparklers dry, or sweet, or somewhere in the middle? Do you plan to serve the wine with dinner or as an aperitif? Also try to find bottles that are still in boxes or are at least protected from direct light. Light can damage a good bottle.
Look for sales. I have found that just after Thanksgiving, Champagne and sparkling wines seem to go on sale for about a week or so. This is just a personal observation and not based on any marketing surveys or research. You might also go shopping right after the holidays and pick up some bargains. This is the time to buy a variety of these wines and find the ones you like. If you have the proper storage space, stock up for next year. But on second thought, it’s hard to resist popping those corks. You’ll probably find yourself celebrating anything you can think of, like Groundhog’s Day or They Only Raised Our Rent 2% Day, and so on.
Buy by the case. Granted a dozen bottles is a lot of Champagne for one family. But if you split a case or even two among friends, you all benefit from the case discount, which can be as much as 20%. So plan ahead. Get together with your friends and neighbors and go Champagne shopping.

Those are my tips for finding values. But the most important tip for enjoying Champagne is to drink it with those near and dear to you. Our best for this holiday season.

For this feature, we tasted the wines in ascending order by price. We tasted each wine by itself and then selected several to sample with cocktail party fare like cheddar-cheese bread twists, a pate mousse on country bread, and an assortment of puff-pastry hors d’oeuvres or, as we like to call them, “hoover doovers.”

Non-vintage, Zardetto, Prosecco, Brut ($9.99)

This wine from Italy’s Veneto district is pale, pale straw in color and almost clear. It has a good mousse and a nice stream of small bubbles. The nose is big and yeasty with hints of clove. On the palate, it’s dry and tasty with flavors of apple and Bosc pear. It also has a good finish. This is a fine example of Prosecco, one with a lot of character. Its nose teases you with sweetness but it’s definitely “brut” dry. It also went well with the food. This wine is imported by Winebow, New York, NY.

1996, Brut d’Argent, Chardonnay, Cotes du Jura ($9.99)

Pale straw in color, the wine has a good mousse and medium sized bubbles. Its nose is herbaceous and minerally. It’s very dry and packed with flavors of wood (not oak) and minerals. It finishes well with hints of grapefruit and citrus. This is a good toasting wine especially for those who like their bubbly dry. However, with the food, its flavors seemed to fade. A good value for a French sparkling wine.

1995, Michel Freres, Blanc de Blancs, Cremant de Bourgogne ($11.99)

Pale straw in color, with a light mousse and medium sized bubbles, this wine has an interesting meaty nose that reminds one of ground beef. It’s dry and full of flavor with tastes of bread, yeast, and hints of toast. The flavors linger on the tongue and the wine has a nice finish. This is a straightforward, uncomplicated wine that went quite well with the food. If you need an affordable wine for a large crowd, this might be it.

Non-vintage, Domaine Chandon, Blanc de Noirs, Carneros, California ($12.99)

This wine is beautifully light pink in color, has major mousse and small bubbles. It has a floral nose with hints of rose petals and is packed with flavor. It’s dry and delivers luscious tart fruit flavors like strawberries or under-ripe peaches. The flavors linger and the finish is good. This is an elegant wine and definitely one of the stars of our tasting. Its flavors, however, faded a bit with our choice of hors d’oeuvres.

Non-vintage, Gruet, Blanc de Noirs, Brut, Albuquerque, New Mexico ($12.99)

This wine is light pink in color, has a good mousse and tiny bubbles. It has an enticing nose of dried apricots, is dry and full of minerally flavors. In fact, its flavors are pleasantly sharp on the palate. With the food, however, this sharpness was softened and the wine tasted just a little sweeter. Definitely worth a try.

Non-vintage, Pacific Echo, Brut, Mendocino County ($15.99)

This wine is light gold in color, has a good mousse and lots of tiny bubbles. It has a big beautiful nose of sweet fresh corn, yeasts, and subtle hints of lavender. It’s full of toasty flavors and has an underpinning of burnt sugar, though it’s totally dry. The wine’s great flavors just seem to linger on the tongue. It finishes well with hints of grapes. This wine was outstanding with the food and cut through even the sharp flavors of cheddar-cheese bread twists. This wine elicited more than one “wow” from our group of tasters. A star of this tasting and one of the best with the food.

1996 Taittinger, Domaine Carneros, Brut, Carneros, California ($19.99)

Light gold in color with very good mousse and lots of small bubbles, this elegant sparkler has a smoky yeasty nose with hints of candied violets. It delivers plenty of delicious yeasty flavors with hints of buttered toast. In fact, it has a certain unctuousness that we found quite pleasant. It also has a great finish. This wine was great with the food and kept its character even when accosted by a dog in a blanket. Though not cheap, it’s truly worth a try. Another star of this tasting.

I highly recommend Maggie McNie's new book on Champagne.
To read our review, click on the cover.

TableWine is a personal website and does not sell any wine. However, many of the wines we review are purchased from our local wine merchant, Wine & Spirit World. Their web site may help you locate a good number of our selections.

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