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How to survive buying champagne

From Staff Reports

buzz@hickoryrecord.com

Published: December 30, 2008

Hickory - A little bubbly makes every party pop. And now you know exactly how to buy it.

1. Know the vocabulary

Brut: The most common type. It has the dry taste most people associate with champagne.

Brut de Brut: An extremely dry variety

Blanc de blanc: champagne made from chardonnay grapes. It will have an oak taste like a chardonnay wine, said Alan Wilson at the Hickory Wine Shoppe

Demi-sec: An option with a little sweeter taste

Rosé: Pink champagne, this one tastes like a fresh strawberry out of the field, said Wilson. It's not sweet but fruity.

2. If you'll just have it because it's expected and everybody will be drinking Budweiser for the rest of the night, the $5 or $6 bottle of Andre at the supermarket might be your best bet. If you want to impress but not spend too much, try a Domaine Carneros brut sparkling wine (the company could call it champagne but chooses not to) for around $26. Or, if you can go a little higher in price, a $50 Moet White Star has a big following among champagne drinkers.

3. It doesn't have to say champagne to act like champagne. Many people can't tell the difference between Cava, a sparkling wine made in Spain, and French champagne. A Prosecco sparkling wine, made in Italy, is a good, light choice for a person who doesn't like the heavy taste of champagne.

4. How much will you need? A good rule of thumb is you'll get four to five glasses in a standard, 750-milliliter bottle.

5. Don't disturb the bubbles. Tilt the glass when you pour so that the wine runs down the side of the glass.

6. Unless you're in victory lane and need the spray, don't shake your champagne. Doing so kills the taste.

7. Another taste destroyer: Serving champagne too cold. Sparkling wine should be served at about 45 degrees. If you're storing it in the refrigerator, take it out 15 or 20 minutes before serving.