Champagne Suggestions

[TiggerTrigger]

I'd like to treat myself to some nicer champagne for NYE. We're a week out, so want to buy a bottle before there's too much of a run. Buying a premium vintage is not in the budget, but I've always wanted to treat myself to something like Dom, Cristal or Krug. That being said, I am not much of a wine drinker and my general drinking preferences tend to be more on the sweet side (although a love a good extra dirty vodka martini). I have not decided on a menu for the evening, but we usually do appetizers and I often lean into things with seafood. DH thought he was being sweet and went into one of our local chains that used to be more reliable in hopes that he could surprise me with a bottle, but they sold him on something lesser that's more about fancy packaging that screamed of them just trying to move product. He meant well, but he'll be taking it back.

In any event, would love people's thoughts

 

[disneychrista]

I'd be interested in hearing suggestions as well. I generally get Barefoot Pink Moscato because I don't want to spend money on something I may not like.

 

[_19disnA]

Have tried Dom Perignon in the past for a special occasion we were celebrating and was underwhelmed. Frankly, any good quality name brand champagne you can find in your local grocery store will work just fine. I think the high price of many products don't necessarily translate into a better taste and are more a reflection of limited quantities available or the reputation of the company who sells them.

 

[LoveDaisy]

My favorite is a localish vineyard. They ship if you are not local, and shipping is really fast.

Sparkling Pointe

Edit: this is a sparkling and not a champagne

 

[longboard55]

I would ask the guys at Bevmo if you have one, or another discount liquor store. They know all the labels

 

[easyas123]

My go to's are Bollinger, Veuve or Moet & Chandon for a fun not terribly expensive bottle. I've got two bottles of Moet chilling for tomorrow morning now...honestly, the Kirkland brand champagne from Costco isn't the worst in the world, and at $20 a bottle it's a cheap date.

If it was a special occasion or I wanted to really get something good I'd go with the Krug.

Enjoy your champagne!

 

[Moliphino]

Have tried Dom Perignon in the past for a special occasion we were celebrating and was underwhelmed. Frankly, any good quality name brand champagne you can find in your local grocery store will work just fine. I think the high price of many products don't necessarily translate into a better taste and are more a reflection of limited quantities available or the reputation of the company who sells them.

Yeah, I can't tell the difference between "good" wine and average wine. I'm happy with my Kirkland prosecco for $8-9/bottle.

 

[tvguy]

I'd like to treat myself to some nicer champagne for NYE. We're a week out, so want to buy a bottle before there's too much of a run. Buying a premium vintage is not in the budget, but I've always wanted to treat myself to something like Dom, Cristal or Krug. That being said, I am not much of a wine drinker and my general drinking preferences tend to be more on the sweet side (although a love a good extra dirty vodka martini). I have not decided on a menu for the evening, but we usually do appetizers and I often lean into things with seafood. DH thought he was being sweet and went into one of our local chains that used to be more reliable in hopes that he could surprise me with a bottle, but they sold him on something lesser that's more about fancy packaging that screamed of them just trying to move product. He meant well, but he'll be taking it back.

In any event, would love people's thoughts

What brand did your husband get? That could very well be a a great selection. My wife and I early in our wine tasting days used to get Dom Pérignon by the glass on our cruises on the SS Norway in 1983 and 1984. Even bought a case in the late 1980s.....back when it was $36 a bottle (that would be about $108 in todays dollars). No kids yet, so we had a little more money.
Friday we went wine tasting and picked up a bottle of Wyneland Estates Sparkling Wine (not Champagne since it is not made in France) for $16. You can only get it at the winery.
Buy by the taste, not the price.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

What brand did your husband get? That could very well be a a great selection. My wife and I early in our wine tasting days used to get Dom Pérignon by the glass on our cruises on the SS Norway in 1983 and 1984. Even bought a case in the late 1980s.....back when it was $36 a bottle (that would be about $108 in todays dollars). No kids yet, so we had a little more money.
Friday we went wine tasting and picked up a bottle of Wyneland Estates Sparkling Wine (not Champagne since it is not made in France) for $16. You can only get it at the winery.
Buy by the taste, not the price.

The bottle they sold him was 50 Cent’s brand. I generally don’t buy into celebrity endeavors like this as they tend to be money grabs on name vs substance. The vast majority of the reviews I found were positive until I started digging. All of the good reviews were praising the bottle appearance. The few I could find reviewing the actual product were very negative, criticizing both lack of bubbles and flat flavor. I think he paid close to $150, so it wasn’t an insignificant cost either.

 

[Tuffcookie]

I’m happy with my Asti.

 

[tvguy]

The bottle they sold him was 50 Cent’s brand. I generally don’t buy into celebrity endeavors like this as they tend to be money grabs on name vs substance. The vast majority of the reviews I found were positive until I started digging. All of the good reviews were praising the bottle appearance. The few I could find reviewing the actual product were very negative, criticizing both lack of bubbles and flat flavor. I think he paid close to $150, so it wasn’t an insignificant cost either.

Well above my price point for sure.

 

[disneychrista]

Well above my price point for sure.

Mine too. I have considered splurging and buying a $20 vs the $8 that I usually spend. But no way would I even consider buying $150 bottle.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend about those $200+ bottles of Whisky in the locked cabinets at stores. Are those really that much better than the $25 bottles? I will never find out because I will never spend that much.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Well above my price point for sure.

I don’t normally spend like this on alcohol but I wanted a splurge. I love that DH wanted to do something special but I want to make sure he doesn’t get ripped off. The discount store he frequents used to be wonderful for recommendations but has become unreliable in recent years. A coworker was the first to accuse them of shifting to a “let’s move the slow moving products” model and I suspect he’s right.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Mine too. I have considered splurging and buying a $20 vs the $8 that I usually spend. But no way would I even consider buying $150 bottle.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend about those $200+ bottles of Whisky in the locked cabinets at stores. Are those really that much better than the $25 bottles? I will never find out because I will never spend that much.

DH loves single malt scotch. I have developed some of a taste for it and aside from general brand flavor profiles, I can say that I can taste the difference between different ages.

 

[Imzadi]

Moet & Chandon Brut is my favorite. Or just Chandon Brut is their more affordable version at about $20. They are both nice, clean, citrusy, with a nice balance of bubbles. They are both made from a blend of a variety of grapes each year, so they match the flavor year to year. And this way, they can keep their price point down. (Brut is a dry style of champagne, not the name.)

Veuve Clicquot is another popular champagne that many people like. When I used to do catering, M&C or VC were the ones chosen for many of the really high end events I worked.

I wouldn't spring for Dom Perignon. It's expensive, but lacks the medium and big bubbles. For all it's hype, it's kind of flat.

Be careful with going with a really cheap champagne even if it says Brut on the bottle. They will just taste like terrible cough syrup with a lot of bubbles. May be fine for just a celebratory toast, but no actual drinking.

 

[tvguy]

Mine too. I have considered splurging and buying a $20 vs the $8 that I usually spend. But no way would I even consider buying $150 bottle.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend about those $200+ bottles of Whisky in the locked cabinets at stores. Are those really that much better than the $25 bottles? I will never find out because I will never spend that much.

This is from 2012. No idea what this sells for today.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Moet & Chandon Brut is my favorite. Or just Chandon Brut is their more affordable version at about $20. They are both nice, clean, citrusy, with a nice balance of bubbles. They are both made from a blend of a variety of grapes each year, so they match the flavor year to year. And this way, they can keep their price point down. (Brut is a dry style of champagne, not the name.)

Veuve Clicquot is another popular champagne that many people like. When I used to do catering, M&C or VC were the ones chosen for many of the really high end events I worked.

I wouldn't spring for Dom Perignon. It's expensive, but lacks the medium and big bubbles. For all it's hype, it's kind of flat.

Be careful with going with a really cheap champagne even if it says Brut on the bottle. They will just taste like terrible cough syrup with a lot of bubbles. May be fine for just a celebratory toast, but no actual drinking.

The brut explanation made me chuckle because I was educating myself on this last night. I found this lovely key.


I’m learning

I’ve definitely had my experiences with the cheap stuff. Back in my 20s, I had a friend that threw an epic NYE party. Nothing elegant but it was fun. He’d get several cases of something awful. We drank it but I don’t think I can do that again at this age.

I guess the other thing to decide is stemware. Sommelier’s recommend a tulip shaped wine glass. Then you’ve got the long stemmed wedding style flutes or the longstanding standard coup options that feel more fun and festive.

I will keep your recommendations for the future because i definitely don’t want to make this a habit. I also skipped Dom because of some profile reviews and a few other silly things involving friends.

I decided on Krug, so I’ll weigh in next week!