How to Chose a Bottle Champagne

If you are a novice champagne enthusiast, then this little guide is for you. It will go over some of the basic things to look for when selecting a bottle. Just remember that ultimately the best champagne to buy is the one that you enjoy the most.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a nice selection of champagne

1. First thing to consider when buying a bottle of champagne is the dryness of it. Depending on your tastes you may love a really dry champagne or prefer the sweetest one you can find. Most people seem to fall somewhere in between. Here is a list of champagne descriptions from sweetest to driest:
   Doux
   Demi-Sec
   Sec
   Extra Dry, Extra Sec
   Brut
   Extra Brut, Ultra Brut, Brut Integral

2. Next you will want to look at the marques. This is basically who makes the champagne. There is a relatively small list of major marques out there so just try to remember the ones you have tried and liked. You are bound to see the same one on a restaurant menu wherever you go.

3. Many people consider the vintage to be very important. I do not however. Vintage refers to the year of the grapes that were used in making this champagne. Now this is extremely important when choosing a fine wine, but champagnes generally use grapes from several seasons. So consider it any way you like.

4. The size of the bottle can be a factor to consider. Champagne does not save very well. You generally have less then a day to enjoy it. So if you know that you are only going to have 2 glasses for dinner then don't purchase the double magnum.

Tips & Warnings

• Don 't fall for any of those champagne savers out there that claim to give your bottle a longer life. they don't work