It's Champagne (?) Time, Again!!!

We Separate The Hype From The Grape

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For the last two years we have recommended the Spanish Sparkler Cristalino as the best value for the money, especially at  parties where a dozen bottles may be consumed.

Still available at Cost Plus for $5.99 a  full bottle, it certainly made sense.  But now comes along an alternative that is not only party priced but is also a very serious contender against serious upscale supposedly "True" French Champagne.

For a start, it is French.

As you know, only wines from a small, clearly designated area around Reims and Epernay , France, 60 miles East of Paris can now be called Champagne. Even if the grape is harvested in France, it cannot bear the name Champagne unless it was harvested in that specific area. 

However a lot of great grapes are raised in the surrounding "terroir" and they are often produced by the same "Methode Champenoise" as their haughty sisters. They may carry the appellation "Cremant". There are some very good ones and they are usually priced in the $15 plus range.

However, Trader Joes is now offering a Cuvee Brut  named Cremant de Bourgogne from Blason De Cremant. It is $7.99 and is unbelievable. We bought two bottles for tasting and drank the first when we arrived home. It was truly Brut dry and had that toasty aftertaste that you experience only with top of the line Champagnes.

We would rate it as well above most domestic sparklers and equal to or above the big Napa and Sonoma names like Schramsberg, Pacific Echo ( formerly Sharfenburger) and Kornell.

I even think it is superior to a true champagne like Moet and Chandon White Star Brut ($25) and at least as good and probably better than the now very popular Veuve Cliquot ($35) which is suffering from gigantic overproduction in response to its remarkable marketing hype since Moet bought it from the family of Madame Cliquot of Grand Dame.

If you doubt this is possible, invest in one bottle and taste it. I'm betting you will run back and buy a case. At $7.99 a bottle, a case of 12 is less than one bottle of the  highly overrated Dom Perignon ($110). You will be shocked.  Common sense tells you that that squat Dom bottle can't be worth $70 by itself.

If you palate demands true champagne opt for Duval Leroy Paris Blue Label with a Leroy Neiman graphic on the bottle. It is about $25.

If you seriously demand something that is as good as that  way overproduced Dom Perignon,  (where did they find all those grapes to make 10 times as much Dom as they did a mere 10 years ago?) look for Duval Leroy Blanc De Blanc at a mere $40 prox. Visit a local wine store to get the best vintage. He may have to order it.

Finally, if you are really serious and want the best, try to find Charles Heidseck Blanc de Blanc, 96 at your favorite liquor store. At around $80, it is far and away the very best premium champagne that you can buy within $100.  Charles Krug at about $350 is better. But Heidseck  makes Louis Roeder Cristal and Dom taste like Korbel. 

Finally, if you hate the French, the best consistent Sparkler is Louis Roederer Brut available all over town at $17 or less. It is domestic but unfortunately the parent company is still French.

Domestic Korbel Brut at under $10 is always a good choice as is Pacific Echo for a few dollars more. Just try to make your decisions rationally rather than hype. The globalization of wine has put tremendous pressure on big name overpriced wineries for the last 5 years with remarkable values  available often at 1/4 the price of the hyped wines of Bourdeaux and Burgundy.

It just takes a little effort but soon proves to be a fun game.