New Year’s Eve Bargain Priced Bubbly

Fabulous & Frugal


Champagne Alternatives that Won't Disappoint

Looking for the 'pop' of Champagne without the price tag? Jill Bernheimer of L.A. based DomaineLA and Brooklyn's Smith & Vine have fantastic insider tips for frugal fizz that won't sacrifice quality, taste or the experience of the classic expensive bubbly. Shop online at both stores, or check your local wine shop and Whole Foods for these Fab & Fru suggestions!

Methode Champenoise

Whether Cava or Cremant, there are lots of wines from all over Europe that use the same rigorous method of production as Champagne, but can't call themselves by the name since they fall outside the Champagne region. Cava is from Spain, and uses local Spanish grape varieties; Cremants come from France, and may or may not use the same grapes as in Champagne. You're saving money just by virtue of the fact that "Champagne" is not allowed to be printed on the labels of these bottles.

Here are Smith & Vine's Methode Champenoise Special Picks for 2012!

  • Belle-Vue - Vin Mousseux Brut: This sparkling Muscadet from the Loire Valley is light and minerally at about $18 a bottle. Think oysters and crushed seashells, yum…

  • Bruder Dr. Becker - Scheurebe Sekt Extra Trocker: At around $22 a pop, this delightful German bubbly doesn't just sparkle - it sizzles!

  • La Taille aux Loups - Triple Zéro: This 100% Chenin Blanc from the Vouray Loire Valley in France is delicious at $25 a bottle

  • Crémant du Jura- - Domain de Montbourjeau: 100% Chardonnay from Jura and Savoie France, this "sparkle motion in a bottle" is $23 a bottl and the pick that tastes most like traditional Champagne.

Cava

The Champagne of Spain, Cava is totally and delightfully affordable. Check out these Picks!

  • Smith & Vine loves German Gilabert's Cava Brut Native (in this case, German is a name - not the country..). At $15 per bottle, this Spanish beauty is fun and light.

  • Domaine's ridiculously affordable top pick is - NV Mercat Cava, Penedes, Spain. For $13 a bottle, it delivers a lot of bang
    for the buck! According to Jill, "It's a little toasty and creamy, has a touch of fruit but is still very dry - the Mercat is a great, traditional Spanish bubbly made in a crowd pleasing style!"


Prosecco

Produced in Italy, Prosecco is NOT made in the same way as Champagne, and doesn't pretend to be. It's clean, refreshing, and well under $20 a bottle. It's the perfect beverage for a New Year's brunch, as many Proseccos highlight citrus flavors.

Here are the TOP Picks!

  • The guys at Smith & Vine just love Vino Frizzante's Proseccofrom Liguria Italy. It has a fresh and delicate taste, and the tiny bubbles are deliciously elegant!

  • Jill loves the Drusian Prosecco. At $15 a bottle this organic Prosecco is a dry rich bubbly with a flowery fragrance and an overall fruity flavor.

  • For $13 per bottle, Jill also recommends the delightful Sommariva Prosecco. (Plus, Sommariva is just fun to say, isn't it?)

Grower-Producers

If it simply must be Champagne, eschew the big brand names and instead go for boutique producers. The most familiar Champagne houses are often divisions of large multi-national conglomerates, with correspondingly huge marketing budgets. A high percentage of every bottle you buy is subsidizing the cost of the billboards, magazine ads, and television commercials that these companies produce. Look for smaller producers who aren't forcing you to pay for their image - just for what's in the bottle. The tip-off? When you see the initials "RM" on a Champagne bottle (look very closely, it's in fine print!), it means that the wine is made by the same family who grows the grapes, and oversees the entire process. You'll be getting an artisan product, and you'll be supporting a family rather than a multinational corporation.

Top Affordable Champagne Pick!

  • Gaston Chiquet Brut Tradition - $50

May your New Year be filled with bubbles and blessings!

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