Champagne is truly a wonderful invention and my utmost thanks to Mme. Clicquot for perfecting the process. I have a strong appreciation for a woman who dedicated her life to champagne. While I have no evidence that she referred to running a champagne business as ‘dedicating her life,’ I do feel confident saying she worked on champagne –related stuff at least 30 hours a week which is close to dedicating your life to something.

I’ll admit I’ve not always felt as comfortable around champagne as Mme. Clicquot. I never really knew what ‘good’ champagne was and was intimidated by the prices and rarity of it. But, I’ve found that deciphering champagne is not so hard when you do research, testing, and evaluation. Note: I would put special emphasis on the ‘testing’ phase – because (a) you get out of this process what you put into it and (b) it will bring new legitimacy to your drinking if you tell people you are researching and testing something.

Research. Like most things of interest, there is a language to champagne – specifically the labels. To start with, what is it – Champagne or sparkling wine? This generally tells you where the champagne is from: Champagne is a specific region in France and among French champagnes, only those from that region may use the term ‘champagne’ on the label. The rest are sparkling wines. Still read the label – the rules aren’t as strict outside of France. Extra brut, Brut, extra dry, sec, demi-sec, or doux tell you about the amount of sugar in the champagne. Extra brut has the least amount of sugar and is considered the ‘driest’ and doux has the highest amount of sugar and is considered ‘sweet.’  One of those things that makes no logical sense but is a historical hold-over: brut champagne is actually drier than an extra dry champagne. Brut is generally the most common of champagnes. Next, méthode champenoise tells you how the bubbles got into the bottle. The traditional method of making champagne requires a second fermentation in the bottle and is a more labor-intensive process. If méthode champenoise is not specified on the label, an alternate method was likely used.  The two other ways of getting the bubbles into the champagne are to add carbonation to large vats of wine – or, least favorably, to inject carbon dioxide into the wine. Why does the method used matter? Champagnes with smaller bubbles are thought to be better champagnes. On a practical note, the bubbles are what carry the alcohol into your bloodstream: the larger the bubbles, the quicker the impact; and, unfortunately, the larger the bubbles, the larger the hangover.

Testing. It is important to try a variety of champagnes. Not just different brands, but different types – brut, extra dry, sec, etc. Branch out and try different blends of grapes – from rose to blanc de blancs. And, don’t avoid the lower priced options of champagne. It is helpful to try a range of champagnes to provide you with points of comparison and, there are some wonderful champagnes that are reasonably priced.

Testing different types of champagne is important to truly figure out what you like. Understanding the labels is really only an aid to help you know what to expect inside the bottle. Picking a bottle by brand or type won’t guarantee it will be something you enjoy  Testing various types and narrowing down what you like will – and then you can use labels to select future champagnes with the characteristics you enjoy. Why bother with all of this work?  When a special occasional roles around, you want to have a go-to champagne that you can pop with confidence. I recently hosted a champagne tasting party and it was interesting to see how the various brands ranked. After a night of tasting Chandon, Sophia, Cook’s, Veuve Clicquot, Piper Sonoma, and Rodere Estates, the overall winner of the party was Sophia.

Evaluation. Your personal preference is what really matters in terms of figuring out what good champagne is for you. Any number of sources can rate something, but at the end of the day (or beginning) you are the one drinking it. The champagne tasting party I held was an example of that as the scores did not follow the pricing of the bottles. It really came down to the taste preferences of the group.

The winner of the night, Sophia, is one of my go-to champagnes. Made by Coppola vineyards, it is a blanc de blancs (made only with chardonnay grapes, rather than the traditional blend of grapes in champagne). It has a refreshing flavor – it is crisp without any bitter after taste. And, it is priced so that you can celebrate any night of the week. Champagne often gets reserved for special occasions and that is a shame. It is worth incorporating it as a regular part of life. Life goes by quickly; it is worth celebrating the smaller things. Sophia retails for under $15 and, in spite of the reasonable price, you can bring it out at a special event or give it as a hostess gift without fear of looking like you ran into a 24-hour convenience store on your way to the event and picked up the bottle.

Two other high rated champagnes at the party were: Piper Sonoma and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. Piper-Sonoma champagne is a great option. It is a California sparkling wine at a moderately higher price point than Sophia (retails for about $35). Piper-Sonoma uses the traditional method for adding the bubbles to the champagne – which is a more labor intensive process but results in smaller bubbles. Piper-Sonoma makes a wonderful blanc de blancs that has a green apple crispness to it.

The high marks for Veuve at the party were not a surprise. This champagne is a consistently great option and has brand recognition that adds to its appeal. The price point is a true value when you consider that it is a true French Champagne, is from one of the original champagne houses, and uses the traditional method of a second fermentation in the bottle (which is labor intensive but makes for finer bubbles). Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin has a clean, delicate taste and makes any evening special. If you are dining out and going to buy a bottle – which always carries a tremendous mark-up with it – Veuve is an option on most menus and can be chosen without reservation. You will always select well when you select from Veuve Clicquot line of champagnes.

An interesting revelation at the champagne tasting party was the high marks for Cook’s. This is a puzzler, but also good news. Cook’s is very (extremely!) affordable champagne – I think it is less expensive than a large latte. What really thrilled me about this discovery is that it opens a door for champagne cocktails and mimosas. The double edged sword of Cook’s is something I mentioned above – the bigger the bubble, the bigger the hangover. Cook’s champagne uses the least expensive method for adding the bubbles (injection) which also results in larger bubbles. So, although it has an attractive price tag, it may not be a full reflection of the price you ultimately pay. But, segue to the world of champagne cocktails and mimosas, pairing Cook’s with high quality orange juice or other mixers may be the perfect combination – taking advantage of price and taste and balancing out hangover risk.

Lessons learned? Being ready to celebrate – even the daily accomplishments – brings glamour to your life. And, doing something a little extra for others is meaningful – opening a bottle of champagne on a Thursday with friends is just more special than your average bottle of wine. Glamour isn’t reserved for high-end events. Glamour is doing that something extra and special every day. Having a couple of bottles of Sophia in the refrigerator and at least one bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin or Piper Sonoma is great entertainment insurance. And, perhaps most importantly, your taste preference is what matters the most. Cheers!