CHAMPAGNE IS A FINE WAY TO CELEBRATE END OF 2020
Say good riddance to a very difficult year with a treat that's tailored to your budget
I'm not sure anyone could have predicted a year like 2020, but it may be easier to suggest we can't wait for it to disappear at midnight Dec. 31. The question is, will it expire with a bang or a whimper? I'm betting on the latter, and rightfully so, given the suffering it has caused worldwide.
If we have learned any pandemic lessons, it's that living for tomorrow is prudent and reasonable. But it is equally essential to do a little more living for today. Despite the anti-maskers and conspiracy theorists, I have noted an increased sense of community among most citizens and a marked uptick in folks who get out for walks in their community, which must be considered a plus.
That was a long way of suggesting a toast to the new year, and hope for a more normal life is around the corner, and as 2020 comes to an end, we suggest you do it with champagne. We know it is expensive, but given the restrictions on holiday partying, we are counting on the fact that you may have just a little more money in the budget to celebrate at home.
I'm sure the Champenois would be happy to see some increased sales given the hit they have taken during the pandemic. What follows is a quick primer on the various champagne labels you will encounter in stores, but really any bottle will do, so tailor it to your budget, pour yourself a glass and dream about the future. You have earned it.
The champagne most consumers are familiar with is the broad category once widely referred to as non-vintage and now more aptly described as multi-vintage, multi-blended wines. These bottles contain different grapes from scores of vineyards, and more often than not, contain one or more years of older reserve wine. It's the flexibility to add older wines and draw from a diverse range of vineyards that allows each champagne house to reproduce a consistent taste or house style year in and year out, not unlike a fine cognac or blended whiskey.
Vintage champagne is simply that — a wine made from a single year. They tend to be made in superior vintages and likely will age longer in the bottle, increasing their complexity. They do make excellent gifts if you need to celebrate a particular year. Finally, there are the top-ofthe-line luxury labels led by the classics: Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot La Grand Dame, Roederer Cristal, Krug Private Cuvee, Jacques Selosse Origine Blanc de Blancs and many more.
Today we share a short list of favourites in this market suitable for any New Year's celebration.
Moët and Chandon Rosé Mini N/V ($28.99) is in a 200 millilitre bottle perfect for quick celebrations that require a bit of juicy, strawberry, cherry, red apple flavoured fizz.
This year's deal is Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles Bouzy Grand Cru Extra Brut XIV N/V ($63.99) — it is all green apples and spicy, creamy textures — pair with anything.
You can always depend on Louis Roederer Brut Premier ($68.99) and its elegant styling laced with toasted hazelnuts, brioche, Meyer lemon and a splash of saltwater.
Taittinger Brut Reserve N/V ($69.99) is equally elegant, mixing a whiff of smoke and toast over a rush of lemon, white flowers and baked green apples.
A step up the ladder is Champagne Pierre Peters Cuvée de Reserve Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru N/V ($79.99), an all-chardonnay treat crammed with chalky, citrus, green apple flavours flecked with a saline/sea water finish.
Likewise but built for power is the rich, toasty, persistent food-friendly Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut ($89.99).
When your budget is unlimited, your choices are, too. Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut 2008 ($215.99) is a powerful, muscular wine, rich with nougat and brioche flavours.
In contrast, the Dom Pérignon Vintage 2010 ($245.99) is all about subtlety and complexity. The bubbles are tiny, the texture creamy and the experience sublime.
Happy new year!