A few years ago, I spent $110 on a bottle of Krug. I'm not saying it wasn't worth it, but by the time midnight rolled around that year, I'd already put back quite a bit of champagne and I have to admit that I didn't enjoy the Krug ten times more than I enjoyed the $12 Korbel. And I was at a big party and feeling kind of stingy with my champagne, thinking that I'd spent $110 and I certainly wasn't going to share it with all of these random people who couldn't appreciate that it was a $110 bottle of champagne. But that doesn't smack of holiday spirit, does it? In the end, I figured out that a fancy bottle of champs is good for a fancy occasion with your honey or a few delicate-palated friends -- it's not for swilling red-faced while you're trying to get your mack on with party acquaintances.
Again, I'm no wine expert -- I can either drink something or I can't. I like 'em dry, cold and fizzy, which is probably not the most high class way to enjoy champagne but I don't care. With that in mind, here's a roundup of cheap sparklers I've talked about (and a few I haven't talked about yet) that taste good enough to drink alone and are cheap enough to share with your New Year's one night stand.
Phillipe Foreau Sparkling Vouvray NV, France -- $25 Berry scented and really delicious. Plus, will always be associated in my mind with the cute man who sold it to me.
Prosecco Sorelle Bronca, Italy -- $13 -- Extra Dry, which means it's a little sweeter than Brut, but not headache sweet. Lighter color, lots of pear scent, so drinkable. Also has very classy label.
Monasteriolo Cava Brut, Spain -- Trader Joe's, $6.99. Dude, it's $6.99. That is, like, 1/4 the price you're going to pay for the renegade car service you're going to flag down at 11:35pm because you can't get across town in your stilettos and mini skirt, you hussy. It's crisp and just minerally enough.
Taltarni Brut Taché, Australia -- I loved this Australian pink bubbly, which seems to be retailing here for about $20. I liked it better than the $65 Billecart-Salmon rosé. It's not overly berry-y or astringent. I bet you can order a case of it at Astor Wines. Way better than that awful Sofia Coppola hipster canned gak.
Raventos i Blanc Cava, Spain -- About $12, widely available, mineral and clean, extra points for having a classy label that makes the bottle look more expensive than it actually is. Dan Barber's not ashamed to put it on the Blue Hill list. And I'm not ashamed of enjoying it immensely.
My flight gets into LGA at 7pm on the 31st, so I may miss the festivities this year, but at least you all will be saving your alcohol money for 2007. Think of me, drink up, and get laid, not necessarily simultaneously.
Hmm, I thought dry meant not sweet. I could be way off though.
My personal favorite that also pairs amazingly well with tomato sauce pizzas is the Martini & Rossi Asti. It's around $10 a bottle (maybe $15 if you're in the Financial District like us) but it's crisp, sweet but not overbearingly so, and I don't know any wine descriptions so that's all I got. Hehe. Hope you have a happy new year and make it to at least one party :)
Yes, dry means less sweet, but extra dry is less dry than brut in prosecco talk, which doesn't really seem logical: See here.
long as you are around the cava, cristalino won't hurt you, and it runs 5-8 bucks down here.
i have yet to run into a proseco i could throw down straight.
most of that stuff is sweet as a greeting card.
Thanks for doing the research! But how did the latkes for Christmas experiment go?
I'm so glad someone else shares the same hatred of that sofia coppola crap. I call it canned bubble gum. I'm a big fan of rose' champers - especially with seafood, but that stuff is just a sin.