In our Taste Test series, BA editors conduct blind comparisons to discover the best supermarket staples (like vodka or frozen pizza). Today, which Champagne should you pick from the dozens in the sparkling wine aisle?
When it comes to Champagne, there is no definitive combination of bubble structure, flavor, or aroma that add up to the objectively perfect bottle. But if you’re looking for an entry-level, widely available Champagne—whether it’s for the base of a Lychee Punch, the main character in a Sparkling Julep, or just to sip solo—you’ll do better with a straightforward, easy drinking expression. Nothing too aged or expensive—a beach read, as opposed to, say, a Tolstoy, if you will.
Sparkling wines have roots that date back centuries, but Champagne first became widely popular in the 18th century. That’s when many of the oldest Champagne houses still in operation were first established. In 1935 the region received its AOC certification from the French government, which governs that in order to be considered Champagne, sparkling wines must be made in Champagne, in the specific champenoise method (that is, two fermentations; first in tanks, and then again inside the bottle, which makes the wine sparkling) and with specific grapes. (Due to an obscure, post World War II trade deal loophole, a handful of California sparkling wines are legally permitted to use the phrase “California Champagne” on their labels.) AOCs govern other wine regions with similarly specific rules, too, but Champagnes are now among the most well-known wines in the world.
A bottle of great Champagne doesn’t have to break the bank but according to Victoria James, sommelier and executive beverage director at New York restaurants, Cote and Coqodaq, you should be suspicious of a bargain bottle. “I would be wary of anything that’s below $45,” she says. “It’s a really expensive product to make and get over here, anything under that—it’s not really tenable in quality.”
Storing your bottles is just as important: Store them on their side at 55 degrees of colder, and make sure to serve each bottle while it’s still cold. “When a wine gets warmer, the perception of its structure changes,” James says. Otherwise, the subtly crafted balance between bubble, alcohol, and acid begins to unwind.
There are a huge amount of Champagnes on the market, each one with its unique expression. The best big-brand bottles, as James explains, should be “dry, fresh, and approachable,” with some “bright citrus and minerality.” That’s exactly what we looked for in our taste test: an easy-breezy bubbly, with zippy, light flavors; a glass of sparkling that could take center stage at dinner, or happily blend into the chorus of a punch or a cocktail.
How we set up our blind taste test
We kept our bottles chilled in a walk-in refrigerator until the very last minute and wrapped each bottle in paper so that our tasters couldn’t see the label. In order to keep the bubbles as intact as possible, we kept each bottle corked until we were ready to taste it.
