Time to celebrate !

There are so many varieties of sparkling wine and champagne it can be difficult to choose. Generally I prefer Champagne over other sparkling wine for one main reason - time. Champagnes are regulated every step of the way from how the vines are cared for to the way it’s bottled. The second fermentation process, where the wine develops into champagne, is much shorter in Prosecco and Cava. The extra time to maturation adds a lot of finesse and depth of flavor that you can’t short cut. So if you are wondering why some cost more than others, its because of the extra time, care and quality that goes into the bottle.

Here I have chosen one American sparkling wine , Argyle, as it undergoes a very similar process to that of Champagne and is priced at about $20. I recommend shopping at Binny’s ( for those located in Illinois) for most of these as they have not only the best prices, but the greatest variety. Next at $30 a bottle (on sale currently, usually $40) is the Piper Heidsieck. Most of the selections here are brut, which are typically the most balanced in terms of flavor, acidity and sweetness. In the $35-40 price range you have the Louis Nicaise and Pierre Paillard. I would love for you to get at least two of these bottle to try side by side so you can notice the difference. If I were to buy just one of these 5 bottles it would be the Pierre Paillard. It is an excellent Champagne and as good as you can get outside of France at this price point. The last Champagne in the picture is a new Blanc de Noir from Bollinger. It is a limited production and very difficult to get in Chicago. It is probably a $75 bottle of Champagne, but since its in short supply (and we had to find a liquor store in NY that had any left plus were able to ship to Illinois), it cost more like $120 all in.

For those looking to splurge (or have some amazing friends who were generous enough to get you this as a gift), I have a few special bottles below. The Delavenne is the most reasonably priced, at around $60 a bottle, but very difficult to find outside of France. I am a big fan of this Champagne grower and highly recommend anyone visiting the region to try and schedule a tasting. The other 3 bottles are all in the $175 range. The Krug and Dom Perignon are well known for their quality and reputation as it is well earned. The one you might not be familiar with is my favorite of the bunch. The Egly-Oriet is a Blanc de Noir - which means it only uses red grapes. Typical Champagnes are a blend of three grapes (chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier) with the Chardonnay being omitted in this blend. Don’t be intimidated by this style if you are not usually a red wine fan as it is much lighter and doesn’t have the tannins that come from the skins used in producing other wines.

Hope you enjoy trying these selections and feel free to reach out with any questions or comments. Enjoy celebrating!