302011 Thu May 11 02:00:19 -0700 2006 27 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1687830 As a surprise to my FI, I'd like to buy us a really nice bottle of champagne to toast with at our wedding reception. Problem is, we're both grad students so I'm on a budget. Can I buy something good for $50? Or is it worth to splurge and buy a $100 bottle? I'd also love any suggestions of a particular brand/year. Thanks so much! Thu May 11 02:00:19 -0700 2006 0 Jennifer W. 1 1687833 It really depends on your taste in champagne, and I imagine you might not have had a chance to develop one. Champagnes range from very light, almost ethereal, in flavor to fairly rich, and extremely dry (even "brut" covers a wide range) to half-sweet ("demi-sec" literally means "half-dry" but its fairly sweet on the champagne scale). People often develop decided preferences along these scales when they get a chance. Then there are two other issues: 1. The vintage, non-vintage (NV) issue: while vintage champagnes can be wonderful, NV champagne is made so well that I would not go out of my way for vintage champagne except to memorialize the occasion for the future. That is, like choosing a vintage of your wedding year for enjoying on your 10th anniversary, et cet. 2. The issue of special cuvees: Veuve Cliquot "La Grande Dame", Roederer "Kristal", Krug "Grand Cuvee" come immediately to mind as legendary. I've had the first two -- wonderful but very dear in $ -- and I consider regular NV Krug to be wonderful enough that I have not attempted its special cuvee. I suspect these are things you should consider for your silver and gold anniversaries, though, as luxuries go, food and wine are among the cheaper luxuries to acquire a taste for. *** What's my preference: I love most champagnes that are not too light-bodied -- the fuller the body, the more I like it. I love Veuve Cliquot and Krug, but many of the smaller and less expensive champagne houses are very very fine indeed. What do I stock up on: Veuve Cliquot NV demi-sec. Because: it's a style very out of fashion in the US (Americans tend to think the quality of champagne is correlated to how dry it is; how wrong), and hearkens back to an older time when demi-sec was a dominant style. I've converted many friends to this preference, but it's not for everyone. What do I recommend to you: if you have a chance to do a champagne tasting (perhaps the wine vendor for your reception could arrange?), you might find your likes and dislikes. Then choose a house and make it YOURS, the champagne you will celebrate your anniversaries and special occasions with. *That* subjective quality is more important than any other consideration. Congratulations and best wishes! Thu May 11 07:59:19 -0700 2006 1687830 0 Karl S 2 1687876 I must agree with the essence of this post. My suggestion would be Veuve Cliquot. Delicious, Excellent quality and within your price range. And the sentiment that this choice of champagne can be carried with you is very true. My husband and I enjoyed Le Grande Dame at our wedding and continue to splurge on a bottle or two for our anniversary and special dates. You'll never be able to look at the label again without thinking about your special day. Congratulations and best wishes! Mazel tov! Thu May 11 16:01:52 -0700 2006 1687833 0 TC 3 1687898 lol la grande dame brings back memories of Peter Mintun at the Fairmont. my date paid for the meal elsewhere and me the drinks there and it came out even. Thu May 11 18:30:04 -0700 2006 1687876 0 semmel 2 1687897 I realize I should proofread better in the morning. I owe the Widow Clicquot an apology for misspelling her venerable name! Thu May 11 18:18:33 -0700 2006 1687833 0 Karl S 2 1687910 I love VQ demi-sec, but some people just can't get over the sweetness. Thu May 11 20:30:19 -0700 2006 1687833 0 Robert Lauriston 3 1687916 That's their problem. More for us! ;>} Thu May 11 21:14:24 -0700 2006 1687910 0 JB 4 1687997 Agreed. And it really isn't that sweet. It's just much richer all the way around. Fri May 12 15:44:17 -0700 2006 1687916 0 Karl S 5 1688145 It's noticeably sweet. Mon May 15 11:58:22 -0700 2006 1687997 0 Robert Lauriston 6 1688164 As champagnes go, surely, but not compared to the usual standard for sweet wines: dessert wines, such as sauternes, eiswein or trocken/beerenauslese riesling, tokai, muscat, malmsey madeira, et cet. It's more like a spatlese/auslese riesling. Mon May 15 15:20:39 -0700 2006 1688145 0 Karl S 7 1688203 True. And a lot of people aren't big on those rieslings, either. Mon May 15 20:01:35 -0700 2006 1688164 0 Robert Lauriston 1 1687834 There are many good champagnes for $50 or less. However, I would recommend spending just a few dollars more for my favourite, Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose. An absolutely delicious rose champagne. Thu May 11 08:37:20 -0700 2006 1687830 0 cap 2 1687900 Second on that. Or the Ruinart rose, if you can find it. Thu May 11 18:45:43 -0700 2006 1687834 0 Robert Lauriston 3 1687958 Ruinart is my absolute favorite! Its hard to find in the US. Last time I found it was down in LA and I bought as much as I could afford. The shop owner told me he had been thinking about stopping carrying it because it doesn't sell...which is so damn sad. Fri May 12 11:52:34 -0700 2006 1687900 0 Pssst 4 1687965 K&L sells out quickly whenever they get it in. Fri May 12 12:59:12 -0700 2006 1687958 0 Robert Lauriston 1 1687836 You have so many options in the $30 to $50 range. Find a local wine store you trust and get something from a small producer. Thu May 11 09:30:23 -0700 2006 1687830 0 Tugboat 1 1687841 You really need to know only two words...Moet et Chandon....Easily in the range you seek and the quality is always uniform...it never disappoints. Thu May 11 10:53:18 -0700 2006 1687830 0 Jimmy 1 1687842 There are tons of really nice champagnes for under $50. After spending two weeks wandering the champagne region knocking on any garage door with a sign out front, my husband and I learned "Any Grand Cru will Do." That is, as a general rule a bottle of champagne with "Grand Cru" (and honestly "Premier Cru") is going to be good. It may not be to your taste but its going to be good. I live in the Bay Area. When I buy champagnes, it tends to be from D&M or K&L, because they carry a number of lesser known brands/houses so I'm spending my money on champagne, not marketing. You may want to check out their selections, then look for a similar place where you live. Although I will mention that WSJ recently rated K&L very highly for their website sales/service experience, if you want to order direct. D&M Liquors - www.dandm.com/ K&L Wines - http://www.klwines.com/ Thu May 11 11:24:39 -0700 2006 1687830 0 Pssst 2 1687857 I order wine on-line from K&L all the time and I have been very happy with their servcie. And yes, they havea wide variety of excellent champagne in your price range. Thu May 11 13:48:27 -0700 2006 1687842 0 tad_horse 1 1687844 I agree that there are many excellent Champagnes for under $50 per bottle. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is a "grower champagne". A small production wine from a person who both grows the grapes and makes the wine. This is opposed to many of the big brands who buy grapes from farmers and then make the wine. Most of the grower champagnes have really distinctive personalities and offer excellent price/quality. If you find one from Grand Cru vineyard all the better. They do come in a wide range of styles so find a good wine store that can give you an idea of what style the wine is (i.e. full and rich, or fine and elegant, etc.) One little secret is that all Champagne bottles have a code on the label showing the category of the producer; look for RM which means "recoltant-manipulant", a grower who makes his own wine. Thu May 11 11:53:59 -0700 2006 1687830 0 Migz 2 1687924 Well I'd choose to drink champagne at your house! But then I've never tasted a RM wine I did not like more than Cliquot. But hey, I'd also blindly pick a cremant d' alsace over Agent Orange :) Thu May 11 23:18:38 -0700 2006 1687844 0 Nathan P. 1 1687851 Roderer or Veuve Cliquot Thu May 11 13:18:55 -0700 2006 1687830 0 Claire 2 1687856 Just clarify regarding "Roderer": Louis Roederer is champagne Roederer Estate is sparking wine Thu May 11 13:42:39 -0700 2006 1687851 0 Pssst 1 1687874 Veuve Cliquot is a good bet, but I have a real fondness for the Simon Billiecart Rose Brut. Thu May 11 15:58:14 -0700 2006 1687830 0 dinwiddie 2 1687878 You are not alone, though I've not had it. Thu May 11 16:13:11 -0700 2006 1687874 0 Karl S 1 1687895 Here's another vote for Veuve Cliquot. Truly excellent, and IMHO, superior to Moet. Just one man's opinion, however! Thu May 11 18:09:44 -0700 2006 1687830 0 JB 1 1687927 Pol Roger Non vintage good quality and price Fri May 12 01:04:18 -0700 2006 1687830 0 eve 1 1688022 Oh my gosh, thank you everyone for the responses! I cut-and-pasted all the comments and will bring them with me to the wine store with me next week. I'm so excited now, knowing how many options I have to choose from. Thanks again! Fri May 12 21:31:56 -0700 2006 1687830 0 Jennifer W.