It was a solid week of champagne (except for a bit of rosé) at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Champagne Louis Roederer is the official champagne, and that includes, at their table on Grand Prix day, their high end Cristal brand. I don’t exactly drink plonk the rest of the time, but it’s only for this one week that I drink champagne all day every day.
In my opinion, no sparkling wine can match the top-of-the-line, vintage (sometimes called prestige or luxury cuvee) champagnes from either the large chateaus or some less well-known producers of great stature. But this type of champagne usually costs $150 or considerably more. It is a lovely indulgence, and should be indulged now and then, but is not the kind of thing we drink casually. Such cuvees by the way are probably the only sparkling wines that can stand up to aging.
Certain “methode traditionnelle” or wines made in the authentic champagne method but not in the region are enjoyable on their own merits. So we should really be open minded and adventurous, ready to experiment with affordable, every day sparkling wines, and go where the bubbles take us. Wherever the region. Whatever the style and sweetness. However it is served. As long as it is properly chilled.
I raise my flute of French champagne, or American sparking wine, or Italian spumante, or Spanish cava, or German sekt—the international language of bubbly beverages.