It’s almost New Year’s Eve, and that’s the champagne occasion
of the year. It’s not too late to get to
the liquor store and get ready for the big night. First, there is a difference between
sparkling wine and Champagne. Wine
connoisseurs are all aware that real (capital “C”) Champagne comes only from
France, as are most card carrying cocktailians.
The French discourage others from using the appellation “champagne” on
their sparkling wines, and many of the quality wineries (especially those who
wish to sell their wines in France) comply, so many sparkling wines (bubbly for
short) will not say “champagne” on the bottle, although some do. Unfortunately there are few (no?) legitimate
Champagnes available in the under $20 (for 750ml.) price range. If you would like to learn more about
Champagne, including the names of the big Champagne houses, check out the New
York Times Champagne
navigator page. It’s a little out of
date, but some things don’t change very quickly.
For those of us still on recessionary budgets who still want
to celebrate with some sparkling wine, the Utah Sate Liquor Store system has
obliged us with a selection of American sparkling wines for under $20 with some
pretty good ones for around $10. (Those
of you who live in bigger markets should be able to buy all of the wines
mentioned here for similar prices.) Regular
readers are doubtless aware of my love for champagne cocktails like the French 75 and the Kir Royale. When cocktail recipes call for champagne,
though, it’s usually more economical to use a good sparkling wine. Drink your high quality Champagne (and high
quality domestic bubblies) unsullied so you can appreciate them. For champagne cocktails, there are some very
good sparklers under $10 that are ideal for mixing. Prudent readers will always have a bottle or
two of better quality champagne around for celebrations and several less
expensive bottles for mixing. If you
have a spare fridge in the basement, keep it stocked.
This post recommends wines from houses that at some time or
another have had some of their sparkling wines score at least 85 or 90 points
by some well known rating service like Wine
Spectator or Wine Enthusiast. Although quality will vary year to year with
the vintage, etc., I usually assume that these winemakers know what they are
doing and will turn out a good product. So
while individual wines mentioned here may not have been rated (or not rated
high enough to brag about), you will be buying a reliable product and not junk
wine.
Under $20
Before we get into the real bargains, let’s look at the
bubblies that price out closer to $20. Gloria
Ferrer makes some excellent sparkling wines that are among my
favorites. Although not on SPA this
month (that’s a shame) their Blanc de Noirs ($18) and Brut (both $19) have both
been highly rated by multiple rating services.
Domaine Chandon is another
producer of highly rated bubbly in our price range. Their Brut runs $19 and their Blanc de Noirs is
on sale this month for $17. Rated at the
same level is Mumm Napa’s Brut, on
sale this month for $19.
Around $10 and less
Korbel used to be
the best of the budget bubblies, their Extra Dry has been rated respectably in
the mid-eighties ($15), and the Brut is on SPA for $11. Now, however, they have some competition in
their price range. Domaine Ste Michelle, also scoring in the mid-eighties, is another
bargain bubbly on sale for $10 this month.
The real bargains in this price range, however, are some of the
sparklers from Barefoot Bubbly. Three Bubblies (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay
Brut, and Chardonnay Extra Dry) are all on sale for $9. Wine Enthusiast gave one of their bubblies an
87 rating and a Top 100 Best Values award several years ago. Barefoot Bubblies are a great value; the
first time I tasted one I couldn’t believe the price. Barefoot’s sparklers are very drinkable on
their own, and are great in any champagne cocktail you might care to try.
If you have an affinity for some other bubbly (domestic or
imported) that is available for under $20, please share the information with
others by adding a comment to this post, but don’t dawdle, time is running
out. Happy
New Year!