I'm planning to see a provider this weekend who enjoys champagne. Anyone have a recommendation of a good bottle to buy? I probably don't have the funds to buy Don Perignon but can probably afford something nicer than Brut. Picking champagne takes me outside my element (wine) so would love to hear some recommendations.
Recommended Champagne
- Thread starter travelerguy
- Start date
I'm certainly no connoisseur of champagne's but I do enjoy and would recommend a bottle of Veuve Cliquot. About $50-70 cnd.
C
Chef
Some of my current favorites are the Californian sparkling wines, all made by French Champagne houses. Roederer Estate makes some of the best, in my opinion. The non-vintage Brut sells for about $35 at the SAQ in Quebec and is excellent value for the dollar.
If you want to impress with authentic Champagne, and want to pay less than the price of Dom Perignon (about $175), try these:
Krug Grand Cuvée ($150)
Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame 1995 ($150)
Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis ($120)
Veuve Cliquot Vintage Reserve 1996 ($75)
Roederer Brut Premier ($65)
Pol Roger Brut ($50)
If you live outside of Quebec, maybe you can find a bottle of Salon Le Mesnil, the epitome of blanc de blancs.
If you want to impress with authentic Champagne, and want to pay less than the price of Dom Perignon (about $175), try these:
Krug Grand Cuvée ($150)
Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame 1995 ($150)
Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis ($120)
Veuve Cliquot Vintage Reserve 1996 ($75)
Roederer Brut Premier ($65)
Pol Roger Brut ($50)
If you live outside of Quebec, maybe you can find a bottle of Salon Le Mesnil, the epitome of blanc de blancs.
If you want to go for champagne, the Pol Roger or the Moet&Chandon, both around 55-60 CND are sure bets. Both are among the dryer products and are classics.
In Quebec, there are also several good French sparkling wines (vins mousseux) available at the larger liquor stores (SAQ) which in my view could pass for champagne even with a conoisseur (albeit blindfolded). You could consider for example the "Crémant de Bourgogne" by Cave de Viré (Product code 00735886), my personal favourite. There's also the Chateau Moncontour, more widely availaible but a bit sweeter. At less than half the price of real champagne, these are worth considering unless you need to impress with a label marked "Champagne".
Cheers!
JB
PS: An anecdote...On a recent date with an SP in Toronto, I had purchased and brought with me a bottle of real champagne, which unfortunately I had not had the opportunity to previously chill. Upon arriving at her place (she was a high-end incall), she offered to exchange my bottle with another she had in reserve in her fridge. I agreed and she pulled out a bottle of that Henkell Troken stuff (around 14$) as if it were equivalent. I initially felt a bit cheated but I can tell you, once the action started, I couldn't care less anymore. Goes to say...don't worry too much about the issue.
In Quebec, there are also several good French sparkling wines (vins mousseux) available at the larger liquor stores (SAQ) which in my view could pass for champagne even with a conoisseur (albeit blindfolded). You could consider for example the "Crémant de Bourgogne" by Cave de Viré (Product code 00735886), my personal favourite. There's also the Chateau Moncontour, more widely availaible but a bit sweeter. At less than half the price of real champagne, these are worth considering unless you need to impress with a label marked "Champagne".
Cheers!
JB
PS: An anecdote...On a recent date with an SP in Toronto, I had purchased and brought with me a bottle of real champagne, which unfortunately I had not had the opportunity to previously chill. Upon arriving at her place (she was a high-end incall), she offered to exchange my bottle with another she had in reserve in her fridge. I agreed and she pulled out a bottle of that Henkell Troken stuff (around 14$) as if it were equivalent. I initially felt a bit cheated but I can tell you, once the action started, I couldn't care less anymore. Goes to say...don't worry too much about the issue.
Last edited:
Thanks!
I wanted to thank everyone for the great recommendations. What a great list to choose from. I'll probably stay away from some of the $100+ bottles but its good to know what to get if I wanted to splurge. Thanks again.
I wanted to thank everyone for the great recommendations. What a great list to choose from. I'll probably stay away from some of the $100+ bottles but its good to know what to get if I wanted to splurge. Thanks again.
C
Chef
A word of caution about Asti Spumante (Asti = a small town in Piedmont, Spumante = sparkling), it is almost always sweet, which is not always expected when one is used to Champagne. In Italy, try some of the Prosecco sparkling wines if you are looking for a dry wine. Prosecco di Valdobbiadene can be terrific, it is light, dry, lively, a perfect aperitif.
Similar threads
- Sticky
