How to Choose Champagne for a Special Occasion
We use champagne, the "Wine of Kings," to celebrate some of the most important occasions in our lives. The next time you host a special occasion that calls for this magic drink, put some thought into your selection. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Remember that although champagne is a type of sparkling wine, not all sparkling wine is true champagne. Strictly speaking, true champagne grapes are grown only in the Champagne region of France.
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Decide if you will be serving the champagne only as a toast, with light hors d'oeuvres, or all night long. One bottle serves roughly six glasses. If you plan on all of your guests drinking only champagne for the length of the party, provide one bottle per person.
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Determine your budget. If money is no object and you are really trying to impress, you might want to choose a "vintage," that is, a champagne made of grapes from a single harvest. A less pricey alternative would be a "non-vintage," or a champagne made of grapes from at least two years. These are usually blends of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes from several harvests.
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Choose by your own taste. Everyone has an opinion when it comes to wine, and it is impossible to please everyone all the time.
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Settle on sweet or dry. In order from driest to sweetest, Champagne labels will have one of these notes: Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-Sec or Doux.
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Know the grapes. You probably already know what kinds of wines you like, and what goes well with what food. The same is true for Champagne, but there are a few terms to remember: Blanc de blanc is white wine made from white grapes and should be crisp and light. Blanc de noir is white wine made from red grapes and should be deep and fruity. Rosés are made from white grapes that have been soaked in red skins or have had red wine added. These tend to be more expensive, and they are pink in color and fruity in taste.
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