Last Minute Champagne

Uh-oh! Oh, no! Oh, man! You waited 'til the last minute to buy your bubbly. Not to worry. This one is easy. There are lots of good sparklers from inexpensive to high-end in supermarkets and the state liquor stores. My favorites with a few more costly exceptions are wines made by French companies in California which sell for $12 to $20 depending on whether they are on sale. My French son-in-law, loves Chandon NV Brut best, because it is dry, balanced and lively and not too yeasty. Chandon Blanc de Pinot Noir has a slightly pink bronze cast to it, a little more body, and is not quite so dry. We served Mumm's Napa NV Brut at our daughter's wedding. It's a little creamier than the Chandon and in the same price range. Finally, Roederer Estate seems a little sweeter and creamier than the others, but it is rarely on sale these days. Echo is pleasant. If you want bubbly from the Northwest, Domaine Ste. Michelle works, as does Ste. Chapelle from Idaho. Mountain Dome is excellent but hard to find. Gruet from New Mexico is an excellent value at about $12, but hard to find. French Champagne, the real thing, has gotten much more expensive in recent years partly due to the increase in the Euro. Veuve Clicquot is widely available and priced close to fifty dollars much of which pays for a lot of marketing. Origine by Hemard is in the $20 range and probably a better buy. My favorites are Reoderer, Pol Roger, and Bollinger. Bollinger is the biggest and yeastiest of these. If you can afford to pay twice as much or more, Dom Perignon, Crystal and Salon, may actually be better values in term of quality/price ratio, but for most of us the best values are Chandon and Mumm's Napa. By the way, Costco has the best price on on Dom Perignon at about $120. Enjoy! Happy New Year!