What's your "house bubbly"?

[Bonnie in Holland]

For a reasonably priced Champagne NV, I like Drappier Brut. If going for a half bottle, then I grab a Laurent-Perrier Brut. cheers, Bonnie

[Clinton Macsherry]

St.-Hilaire Blanquette di Limoux (for about $11 per bottle); Montaudon Brut Champagne NV (less often for sure, but at about $28, still reasonable for the dark exchange-rate days).

[Peter May]

For half bottles -- Champagne Raymond Boulard Cuvée Réserve Brut NV

Full bottles -- Lanson Brut Black Label or whatever is on offer until I chance to go to Champagne and stock up on Boulard's Grand Cru Mailly Champagne

[David Creighton]

i am impressed by the large number of votes for vouvray sparklers. hadn't given them much thought until we had a glass before dinner at annes trent in chinon. just had to ask what their house bubbly was: ch. gaudrelle. so the next day we stopped there to get some. really good stuff. i understand it is imported by Kysela.

[Robin Garr]

i am impressed by the large number of votes for vouvray sparklers.

In retrospect, I wish I had mentioned that too in my "affordable" category. Vouvray sparklers, and really all the non-Champagne Cremant de ____ from France.

[Jon Peterson]

Either Moet White Star or a nice Prosecco, both NV. For special occasions, I usually have a Dom Perignon (from Costco) on hand. Did you know that, at least last year, Costco was the #1 retailer of Dom Perignon in the world?

[Clint Hall]

White Star? I keep running into this sweetie when they serve the cake at weddings. Can't say I look forward to it but I'll bet most once-in-a-while wine drinkers would prefer it 10-to1 to Dom.

[Glenn Mackles]

No single house bubbly.... but generally NV offerings from Larmandier-Bernier, Taittenger, Billicart Salmon and Bollinger depending on what's available at good prices.

Glenn

[Nathan Smyth]

In the last couple of months, I have had the current release of the NV Nino Franco "Rustico" Prosecco from two different sources [one a restaurant, the other a retailer, about 250 miles apart], and was very, very impressed each time.

I don't know what the previous releases were like, or what any future releases might be like, but the one that's on the market right now is, quite frankly, just stunning.

And no more than about $15.

I seem to recall that it's on the Vin Divino line card.

[ChefJCarey]

While I'm not a big consumer of animated wines, I must say I am surprised that not a single aficionado selected Clicquot Yellow Label. It's one I have enjoyed.

[David M. Bueker]

The Cliquot Yellow Label is actually my l;east favorite among all the big NV Champagnes. I don't doubt it's well made, but I have never liked the VC style.

[Peter Tryba]

Pierre Peters NV Bl/Bl - house wine, but I'm almost out and looking for a new one.

The sorry tale of Clicquot these days is that it sells TOO quickly! There is not enough time spent in bottle before people start popping corks, so they're missing out on why the widow's wine is renowned. Blame my sister, she worked on the marketing campaigns during the early 90's that pushed Clicquot up to the same level of recognition as DP.

[Robin Garr]

The Cliquot Yellow Label is actually my l;east favorite among all the big NV Champagnes. I don't doubt it's well made, but I have never liked the VC style.

Conventional wisdom also has it that its style changed (toward a more generic "upscale mass market" niche) after the company was acquired by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH).

[Keith M]

The Cliquot Yellow Label is actually my l;east favorite among all the big NV Champagnes. I don't doubt it's well made, but I have never liked the VC style.

Conventional wisdom also has it that its style changed (toward a more generic "upscale mass market" niche) after the company was acquired by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH).

I'm curious, changed how? That is, in terms of how it tastes, not how it is marketed . . .

[David Creighton]

an alternate explanation for the cliquot problem - also based on the fact that it is a huge seller - is the likelihood that they purchase additional wines 'sur latte' - i believe that is the expression used in champagne. wines ready for shipment bought by the pallet and labeled with the new owners label. it has long been said that for cliquot, it depends on what actually shows up. there probably are still good cuvee's and i'm sure some favored customers still get the real deal.

[Jon Peterson]

White Star? I keep running into this sweetie when they serve the cake at weddings. Can't say I look forward to it but I'll bet most once-in-a-while wine drinkers would prefer it 10-to1 to Dom.

Clint - I have discovered that, while I most enjoy dry, still wines, I like Champagnes best when they are on the Extra Dry side. I think this comes from too many midnight Champagne toasts when no food was being served and that Brut just wore me out. Interesting wine article in today's Washington Post about Champagnes with a few that make Dom look like soda pop: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03413.html

[Bill Spohn]

I have a problem with spending large handfuls of loot on what my mind insists is frivolous wine.

I can't help it, my inner cellarmaster insists that anything over $X ('X' is a moving target that slowly moves upward as all wine prices escalate) must be red. Well, except for Montrachet, but that's an honourary red anyway.

And while I do greatly enjoy a spot of bubble once in awhile, I resolutely do NOT enjoy spending 'red wine' money for it. Every time I look at it, I couldn't help thinking - "If I hadn't been such an idiot that could have been a nice bottle of Ch. Rouge..."

So although I did splurge when our local liquor board overloaded the system for the real millennium in 2000/2001 and the faux millennium for those incapable of thinking it through (probably dazzled by any number they couldn't count on fingers and toes) in 1999/2000. When sales failed to move along by the minivan load, the board later cut prices to move the glut of bubbly and always keen for a bargain, I did load up on some nice 1989 and 1990 sparkle, much of which still resides in the cellar.

Sadly (for the state of the exchequer) She-who-must-be-obeyed has a hankering to drink bubble on occasion and I have to keep a sacrificial 'bait and switch' case of bubbly to distract her from the expensive stuff. After various experiments (she is always willing to submit herself to bubbly tasting in the interest of science) we settled on a vintage Cava - Segura Viudas at under $20

Which is a long-winded explanation for why the bubble of the day at Casa Spohn in usually Segura.

[Jenise]

White Star? I keep running into this sweetie when they serve the cake at weddings. Can't say I look forward to it but I'll bet most once-in-a-while wine drinkers would prefer it 10-to1 to Dom.

White Star's basically an Extra Dry that they make just for the U.S. market, isn't it?

[Jenise]

No single house bubbly.... but generally NV offerings from Larmandier-Bernier, Taittenger, Billicart Salmon and Bollinger depending on what's available at good prices.

Glenn

Glenn, as a Billecart Salmon fan, can I make you jealous that several months ago I cleaned out the local supply of the BS Brut Reserve at around $30 a bottle? One store had a bit of old stock at pre-dollarette prices and then threw a 25% off-everything sale. I obliged!

[D Honig]

N.V. Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad I can usually pick it up for $17, it is at least a step better than "decent," and the bottle is always worth a conversation.

[Jenise]

I can't help it, my inner cellarmaster insists that anything over $X ('X' is a moving target that slowly moves upward as all wine prices escalate) must be red. Well, except for Montrachet, but that's an honourary red anyway.

I suffer the same malady when it comes to spending over $30 for white wine (to my brain, $30 red is "cheap" but $30 white is expensive), but I don't consider great champagne just white wine. And I don't have a wife who needs to be drugged with champagne so she won't demand to see my inventory. Don't let the Segura get low, and perhaps you should lay in some alternatives lest she get bored and restless.

[Clint Hall]

Jon, I agree. I hate to see brut Champagne dragged out in the middle of the night.

[Dave Erickson]

an alternate explanation for the cliquot problem - also based on the fact that it is a huge seller - is the likelihood that they purchase additional wines 'sur latte' - i believe that is the expression used in champagne. wines ready for shipment bought by the pallet and labeled with the new owners label. it has long been said that for cliquot, it depends on what actually shows up. there probably are still good cuvee's and i'm sure some favored customers still get the real deal.

You're being too kind, David. Cliquot pledged to stop the "sur latte" practice a few years back then went ahead and kept doing it anyway. I think it was Greg Moore who said something like "It's like cheating on your fiancee--it's not illegal, but it is immoral." WIth production soaring way past 10 million bottles/year, the quality went out the window a long time ago.

[Glenn Mackles]

[

No single house bubbly.... but generally NV offerings from Larmandier-Bernier, Taittenger, Billicart Salmon and Bollinger depending on what's available at good prices.

Glenn

Glenn, as a Billecart Salmon fan, can I make you jealous that several months ago I cleaned out the local supply of the BS Brut Reserve at around $30 a bottle? One store had a bit of old stock at pre-dollarette prices and then threw a 25% off-everything sale. I obliged!

You have succeeded admirably. It is really hard to get Billicart Salmon in Virginia. They don't seem to have a distributor here. I'd love to buy some at $30 a bottle. Usually, I have to end up paying shipping as well. Enjoy it. I know I would.

Glenn