I was at a party last night where several champagnes were pored. Unfortunately, like most people my champagne drinking is done mostly around the holidays. I then tell myself, why don’t I drink this more often.
There aren’t many champagnes or sparklers I don’t like. As compared to other varieties, I have difficulty being able to distinguish a very high end champagne from a large entry level champagne. My palate doesn’t see a big difference. What has your experience been like? Granted I have not spent the big bucks on Krug, Cristal, etc.
Its hard to say why people dont drink it more. I really think people need to see it as a food wine as opposed to just an aperitif. Its so food friendly. Many of the grower champagnes tend to be a touch light for food, but more traditional producers that have low-moderate dosage and let it age on the lees for a long time just compliment so many foods. If its a bit too light for a blanc, just go with the rose.
Champagne would be my desert island wine (yes, above burgundy). I’ve been buying more the last couple years.
Stewart, you kind of express where I was at a point in my wine life that then grew much more fond of champagne at all times as well as celebrative ones. I encourage you to do more tasting of big houses and small growers to get more exposure. Sample Krug and Dom and Cristal and Salon and the like and compare. You will land on what pleases your palate and then you can make more informed decisions about what to buy and cellar and drink more often or save for that treasured occasion. Set aside a day of the week to just enjoy bubbly. We have champagne Friday in our house [and everyday could be Friday].
It`s good to set up tastings with others, both blind and revealed. Study a bit about the history and region of champagne and the micro climates that are conducive to better champagne made from the primary 3 varieties used today and the characteristics that each contribute and what suits you more whether it be BdBs, roses, more toward Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.
Also, use stems with wider and longer bowls to get more of the aromatics than what can come from a flute and whatever you use, have good stemware. I use Riedel Vinum Chardonnay or Bordeaux stems as a rule unless it`s a really special occasion in which case I go back to the traditional flute which for me is the Riedel Sommelier flute. Also, experiment with temperature ranges to get the difference from the same bottle seriously chilled or warmed up a bit.
It goes on and on and your experiences will provide the answers to what is in it for you. Cheers
I also don’t like flutes. At home, my champagne glass is tulip shaped. Lehmann "Jamesse Reference" Grand Champagne glass (we can only ship in 6pks ) (Discontinued by manufacturer) - SKU 1161841 Out, I use either a Vinum Burgundy shaped glass or a white wine glass.
Stewart, it might help to get a sense of what you are drinking. I am finding a lot of smaller producers whose wines I like better than the big houses - favorites include Bouchard and Bereche. 10 years ago I was not really a Champagne lover, now I like it more and more with each passing year. But, I only like the ones I like, if that makes any sense.
I have drank a lot of the california sparklers, and some small champagne growers-Nicholas Feuillatte. Mostly NV’s.
I use Zalto universal though I own Zalto champagne glasses. Drinking a champagne tonight!
I use Zalto white wine or universal for my favorite Champagne.
Champagne is like the Cote d’Or was about 15 years ago. Get it while you can and while it is relatively inexpensive.
-mark
We drink a lot of sparkling wines about 1/2 of which are champagnes. We acquired a set of 8 glasses that were made for Ruinart that are tulip shaped and have become our go to glasses for sparklers.
My favorite are the parfait glasses we bought in France years ago. Champagne really opens up in these. Certainly not the norm but works for us!
I also use the Zalto universal for Champange, though the tulip glasses are nice as well. I like Blake’s suggestions about how to go about learning more about Champange. This time of year, a lot of wine shops are doing Champagne tastings, which is a great way to try a bunch of sparklers all at once.
If you have some wine/Champagne-oriented friends, put together a blind taste test, putting in sparkling wines/Champagnes at various price levels. Make sure that the wines/Champagnes are served blind so no one is influenced by the label.
If you really want to be geeky about it, taste everything on its own. Then re-taste through the lineup with a variety of appetizers that pair well with Champagne/sparkling wine. Write down your favorites on their own, and then your favorites with apps. You may find that some you prefer on their own, whereas some you prefer with food.
If you do a tasting like that, you may get a much better sense of where your “sweet spot” is in terms of styles and price points.
Bruce
I’ve traced the same journey you’re now embarking on. I love champagne and drink it more than anything else now. We’ve done some really fun evenings with friends where we’ve tried lots of different types (low dosage, oxidative, old, young, cheap, expensive etc etc)
Try Bereche
At Thanksgiving, we had some extremely nice Champagnes…but a special thrill was to serve them in my sister-in-law’s antique “stems.” They were etched lightly, with a shortish, wider bowl, but the extraordinary thing was that the stem itself also filled with Champagne. So lovely. I don’t know if anyone got photos. At these events, everything seems to happen so quickly.