It’s nearly time to celebrate the holidays, and nothing says festive like a flute of champagne. Whether your gatherings are large or intimate, serving a glass always seems to bring smiles all around. Here’s some things to keep in mind to help you find the right bubbly for you.
One of the main things that sets champagne apart from other sparkling wines is that it’s aged in the bottle for a minimum of 15 months (3 years for vintage), which contributes to its effervescence, steady stream of bubbles and complexity.
The grapes normally used to make champagne are chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, and these are terms to describe the different types:
Blanc de blancs is traditionally made exclusively from chardonnay grapes and typically is crisp, light and elegant.
Blanc de noirs are made only from black grapes, sometimes just pinot noir, or a combination of pinot noir and pinot meunier, and they are rich and full-bodied.
Rosé champagne can be made one of two ways – using all three grapes, or just the black ones – and tend to be medium-bodied with bright acidity.
By law if it’s champagne it has to say so on the bottle, but there is other helpful information on each label as well. A vintage champagne, for example, will state the year on the label. It means it was produced from grapes that were all harvested from that year. Non-vintage (NV) champagnes come from a blend of grapes from different years.
Sweetness levels are also indicated on the labels. Most champagnes are labeled as brut and will taste dry or possibly slightly sweet. “Brut nature” and extra brut are also dry. Extra dry is noticeably sweeter, while demi-sec and doux are dessert-level sweet.
If you’re looking to pair your champagne with food, here are some ideas.
Brut blanc de blancs: Pan seared snapper, roast chicken, linguine with clams and popcorn.
Brut blanc de noirs: Cheese stuffed mushrooms, lamb chops and grilled steak.
Brut rosé: Sushi, crab cakes and fried chicken (a personal favorite).
Demi-Sec: Thai food.
Doux: Lemon tart and strawberry shortcake.
Champagne suggestions to get you through the holidays
Voirin Jumel NV Blanc de Blancs Brut 1er Cru, $42.50, Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, winewatch.com.
Champagne Chavost NV Blanc de Noirs, $59.99, The Wine Wave, Delray Beach, thewinewave.com.
Jeepers NV Grand Assemblage Brut, $59.99, Virginia Philip Wine Spirits & Academy, Palm Beach, virginiaphilipwineandspirits.com.
Charles Heidsieck NV Brut Reserve, $62, Total Wine & More, totalwine.com.
Moet & Chandon NV Nectar Imperial Demi-Sec, $65.99, Total Wine & More, totalwine.com.
Billecart-Salmon NV Brut Rose, $89.99, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, abcfws.com.
Ruinart NV Blanc de Blancs, $109, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, abcfws.com.
Dom Perignon 2012 Brut, $302, Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, winewatch.com.
Louis Roederer Estate 2014 Cristal Brut, $399.99, The Wine Wave, Delray Beach, thewinewave.com.
Seven facts about champagne
29,000 bottles – the equivalent of about 320,000 glasses – of champagne were consumed at Wimbledon last year.
The odds of dying by a stray ejected champagne cork are estimated to be two and a half times greater than being killed by a shark.
If you’re dieting, drink champagne. A 5-oz. pour has at least 20 percent fewer calories than the same size glass of white or red wine.
There are 49 million bubbles in a 750ml champagne bottle.
The velocity of a champagne cork can reach 25 miles per hour.
Winston Churchill was one of the biggest champagne consumers on record. Between 1908 and 1965, he is said to have drunk 42,000 bottles.
Thirty-three percent of all champagne sales happen in November and December.
Don’t forget, wines make great holiday gifts. Here are choices for every budget.
Craggy Range 2022 Te Muna Road Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, $20, Total Wine & More, totalwine.com.
*Nicolas Felizola 2019 Red Blend, Bergerac, France, $24.99, Virginia Philip Wine Spirits & Academy, Palm Beach, virginiaphilipwineandspirits.com.
Bodegas Zarte 2022 Zarate Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain, $25, The Wine Wave, Delray Beach, thewinewave.com.
Domaine De La Janasse 2020 Terre D’Argile Côtes Du Rhône Villages, France, $34, Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, winewatch.com.
Flowers 2021 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, $50, ABC Fine Wine Fine & Spirits, abcfws.com.
Etude 2018 Grace Benoist Ranch Blanc de Noirs, Carneros, Calif., $60, etudewines.com.
Hirsch Vineyards 2020 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, $74.99, Forum Wine Shop, Fort Lauderdale, forumwineshop.com.
Château Gaby 2020 Amphorae Merlot, Bordeaux, $79.99, Forum Wine Shop, Fort Lauderdale, forumwineshop.com.
Diego Pressenda 2017 Le Coste di Monforte Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy, $89.99, Primo Liquors, primoliquors.com.
Silver Oak 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Calif., $99.97, Total Wine & More, totalwine.com.
Faiveley 2018 Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru, Burgundy, $262.50, Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, winewatch.com.
*Virginia Philip collaborated with the winery to develop the blend.
Peg San Felippo is a certified sommelier who served as a judge at the recent Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirit Challenge, the annual American Fine Wine Competition, South Florida’s home-grown national wine event; and THE Rosé Competition.
Mark Gauert also contributed to the recommended list.
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