With New Year's Eve just about here it is time to purchase the bubbly, but which one to choose? Although there are numerous bottles to choose from and a spectrum of price ranges, the
type of sparkling wine or Champagne you choose may help you see the tree through the forest (or the bottle through the cases as it were). Classified by type of grape or amount of sugar here are the categories you want to be sure to know before popping the cork.
- Demi-Sec: The sweetest of the champagnes, it is best served with dessert. (If you see Sec, this is a touch drier than the Demi-Sec).
- Brut: Dry and most popular around the holidays... very little sugar.
- Blanc de blancs: Made only of Chardonnay grapes, this is great with seafood.
- Blanc de noirs: Light in color though made from dark-skinned grapes, this is fabulous with meat and cheese.
- Rosé: A variety of options abound in this category from light to dark which makes it pair well with different foods.
- Vintage Champagne: Made from the grapes of a single harvest of an exceptional year which makes them more expensive.
Don't forget, the name "Champagne" is reserved for the sparklers that come only out of that region of France. Any other bubbly is considered sparkling wine. Cheers!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jacqueline Dec 30th 2007 10:26PM
Thanks for pointing out that a wine doesn't necessarily need to be champagne to be a delicious sparkler - in fact, the non-champagne wines tend to be a better deal!
Of course, if you are going to go all out and splurge a wine to welcome the New Year in with, try one of these -
http://www.3luxe.com/category/Wine/Bubbly
Happy New Year indeed!