Champagne/Sparkling Wine That I Recommend

So last week we chatted about red wine and today we are going to chat about sparkling wine/ champagne/ prosecco! My favorite topic!!! 

With Christmas just days away and New Year's eve right around the corner, there has never been a better excuse to break out the bubbly. I know a lot of people see anything carbonated as a celebratory beverage, and it is, but I seriously drink it as often as one would drink red wine and don't save the sparkling for a special occasion. I personally just live for anything carbonated. The more bubbles, the better!! 

Just as there are so many wines out there, there are SO many bubbly options. You have sparkling wine which is anything bubbly, then you have champagne which is only produced in the Champagne region in France, and then prosecco is Italian, and Cava is Spanish, and so on. 

I have done a lot of sparkling wine/etc. tasting in my life and I so I really know what I personally love. Again, as I said in the red wine post, I am no sommelier but I just know what I personally like. I had a few of you message me when I did the red wine post that wines seem to be so intimidating. I can understand that, but the thing is that you don't have to let it be intimidating. Just start tasting and learn what you personally like. There is no 'right and wrong'. Why would you drink a fancy expensive bottle of something if you truly don't like it, you know? There is absolutely nothing wrong with loving the $10 Barefoot bottle. I have said time and time again, I'm not a white wine fan... but there are so many people out there who love it and that's their go-to! 

When it comes to anything bubbly, I like dry and I like as many bubbles as possible but they have to be very tiny. Honestly, the bubble size is what I am most picky about, which I know, to some of you, I might truly sound crazy, haha!! I also usually prefer a pinot noir dominant champagne.

If you take price out of the equation, I'd personally always choose champagne. However, champagnes tend to run pricier so I'm not often cracking open a bottle of Billecart Salmon, especially because it is not like red wine where you can have a glass one night and then another glass another night. You have to open the bottle and consume it all that night. They do make champagne wine stoppers. I swear I have tried all of the methods to preserve an open bottle of bubbly but I just don't think it keeps at all, even overnight, no matter what method is used. 

Anyway, I digress. Here are the bottles I recommend...

Billecart Salmon Brut Rosé// Now, I have to preface this by saying I am not a regular rosé drinker. I don't love it at all. This is a completely different taste than rosé so don't let the title confuse you. It's champagne and it's my #1 favorite champagne in all the world. The bubbles are sooooo fine that it is almost creamy and the taste is dry but so flavorful and bright. We drank this on our wedding day and I got a bottle for Christmas Eve. In PA it's about $90/bottle but I think it's FAR superior to something like Veuve Clicquot (which is like $60ish in PA). This is the kind of champagne where you want to be present while drinking it and really taste it and take your time to enjoy it.

Moet and Chandon Imperial Brut// This is another top-notch bottle of champagne. I always have a bottle or two of this on hand. It makes a great gift. It's nice and dry and the bubbles are fine and plentiful. It has a good amount of flavor. It's in the same price range as Veuve Clicquot but I think this has a bolder flavor. Both Moet and Chandon and Veuve Clicquot bruts are very consistent and dependable year after year. 

Veuve Clicquot Vintage Brut 2012// I am not even going to include the 'regular' VC brut on the list because I feel like that's as common as you can get. Don't get me wrong, it's a good, safe choice (like Caymus for red wine), everyone knows the orange label (I often gift it) and no one is disappointed receiving a bottle of VC, however, the vintage 2012 is where it's at! This drinks like velvet.  VC also has La Grande Dame and I don't think I've ever tried it but I'm curious! 

Dom Perignon// There are all different years you can get but I think right now 2012 is the most common and least expensive. When the year changes, it can change the flavor slightly. The hype around Dom Perignon is overrated, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, the bubbles are sooooo fine and you can immediately tell with your first sip that it's vintage but I would personally rather have the Billecart Salmon brut rosé when I'm paying upwards of $100++. I think Dom Perignon is almost too mineral-y for me- the VC 2012 is not mineral-y like Dom is. But I included this on the list because this is a bottle that you bring as a gift that will impress. Dom Perignon is like Louis Vuitton, it's a brand name everyone will recognize (and they are quite literally owned by the same parent company). 

Chandon Blanc de Pinot Noir// I really think this is my favorite from Chandon. It's a Napa sparkling wine and I particularly think this tastes more expensive than it is. I love the bold flavor. The bubbles are definitely larger than some of the champagnes I named above but still has a really nice mouthfeel- not completely creamy, but for me, this is what I typically drink as it's affordable (right around $20). Also, I love Chandon. I had a chance to go to Chandon in Napa and it was so well done. Overall, Chandon in general is just really great for the price. 

Chandon Etoile// The first time I was ever introduced to Etoile was in Napa and I fell in love. It's delicious and you can find it in PA. This is their 'higher end' sparkling wine and this definitely has a smoother feel to it vs. their $20ish bottles. I'd say this has a champagne feel to it. I'd probably think it was champagne if a blind taste test was done!  I want to say it is around $40 or $50 here in PA. I have noticed that lately, it is harder to find! 

Chandon Brut// This is another great 'everyday' bubbly. It's dry, has lots of bubbles (although the bubbles are bigger than most champagnes), and is easy to drink. We have a lot of this on hand at all times as I will often bring this to a friend's house if we are going over for dinner or whatnot. If I am having a big party where we will go through. many bottles, this is what I would serve to cut down on cost. 

Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut// I think this is a great inexpensive bottle. It's French sparkling wine, which is why you see 'Cremant' on the label. It's funny, I remember when my dad discovered this. We were in DC for Christmas as a family one year, I think I was a senior in college and still love it to this day. It has a nice creamy texture which makes it taste a lot pricier than it is. I'd have to do a side-by-side but just by memory, I think the bubbles are finer than Chandon's brut. 

Some honorable mentions: Pol Roger Brut, G.H. Mumm, Perrier Jouet Brut, Mumm Brut, Laurent-Perrier Brut. 

My biggest bubbly tip is to make sure it's very chilled. For me personally, I think the colder, the better! A bucket with ice is great, but to really get that bottle cold, add in some cold water, too! 

Also to note, there is apparently a champagne shortage. When I went to the state store the other day, they were limiting 2 bottles per person and a portion of the shelves were bare. There was no Veuve but I asked for it and they had some in the back. They were completely out of Chandon brut and I bought the last bottle they had of Billecart Salmon! So keep an eye out and keep checking back because I think they are getting things in and restocking as fast as they can! 

I hope this helps you all in gifting this year. I think a bottle of bubbly makes for such a wonderful host/hostess gift. My family always says I am super hard to shop for (which is very true) but I would always gladly accept a good bottle of champagne!!!