Selecting Champagne for New Year's Celebrations
Advice from Wall Street Journal Tastings Column Authors
Dec 28, 2008
No other drink seems better suited to holiday celebrations than champagne. Each year, revelers ring in a new year with a champagne toast. John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter, authors of the Tastings column in the Wall Street Journal share their guidelines for choosing champagne in their book Wine for Every Day and Every Occasion.John and Dorothy agree that champagne is much more than the sum of its parts; they look for a champagne that forms a smooth connection of taste with the bubbles. They note that champagne, while generally savored on its own, make a great accompaniment with a meal, particularly meals with poultry, pasta, cream and butter sauces. Many consumers may think that price equals quality, but that isn't necessarily the case. John and Dorothy claim they've had high-end champagnes that cost $300 a bottle, but they've also discovered others, such as Andre champagne, that can be purchased for about $3. Because New Year's Eve is a popular time to break out the bubbly, John and Dorothy suggest experimenting. They recommend selecting one you've wanted to try but hesitated to purchase because of the cost. Also consider picking a champagne that has some personal significance, such as one that was served after your wedding or when you first proposed.
There are several champagnes that John and Dorothy recommend that vary in pricing:
- Domaine Chandon Cuvee 2000
- Heidseick & Co. Monople Blue Top Brut
- Piper-Heidseick Brut
- Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill 1988
- Freixenet Cordon Brut
The prices start around $9 for the Freixenet Cordon Brut and range from $18.99 for the Domaine Chandon Cuvee 2000 to $110 for the Pol Roger Cuvee. There's also a great Maudiere Millennium Brut Reserve, a late disgorged (nonvintage) sparkling wine from 1983 that can be served as well.
If you're hosting a large New Year's Eve party, you may want to consider purchasing a large bottle of champagne such as a Methuselah or Salmanazar. These names represent bottles of champagne that are available in sizes larger than the standard bottle. Smaller bottles of champagne also have different sobriquets. Take, for example, the split (which equals half of a 750-ml bottle of champagne). However, larger bottles of champagne have names reflective of Biblical kings. The Methuselah contains champagne equivalent to eight standard bottles; the Salmanazar contains the equivalent of 12 standard bottles and the Balthazar equals 16 standard bottles. If you buy champagne in these sizes, you rarely save any money, but the impressive size of the bottle makes for an impressive and festive display.
SOURCES
John Brecher
Dorothy Gaiter
Tastings column appearing weekly in the Wall Street Journal "Weekend Journal"
Wine for Every Day and Every Occasion (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2004; $24.95)
Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes from a Marriage (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2003; $14.95)
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine (Broadway, 2002; $26.95)
CHAMPAGNE SOURCES
American Sparkling
Domaine Chandon
Cuvee 2000, Late Disgorged, non-vintage
Under $20
Nonvintage Champagne
Heidseick & Company
Monople Blue Top Brut
Piper-Heidseick
Brut
Charles Heidseick
Approximately $20 to $25 each
Expensive Vintage Champagne
Pol Roger
Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill (1986 or 1988 are recommended)
Approximately $110
Cava, from Spain
Freixenet
Cordon Negro Brut
Approximately $10
Rose Champagne
Schramsberg
Approximately $20 to $25
Roederer Estate
Brut Rose (1989 recommended)
Approximately $300
Pommery
Brut Rose (nonvintage)
Approximately $35
Michael's Choice
Maudiere
Millennium Brut Reserve, Late Disgorged, 1983
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