by Andy Stricker

Created on: April 26, 2009

Champagne is the best and most popular sparkling wine for that special occasion. No other sparkling wine can reach a champagnes degree of excellence. The climate in this region is perfectly adapted along with the "savoir faire" of the people denotes the tradition and personality of these exquisite Sparkling wines. The superiority and prestige of the champagne region is known all over the world. One of the best years to purchase would be the 2002 vintage. The price range is typically from $40 and up which confirms its place in this segment.

These are some of the brands I would recommend if you are finding it difficult to choose one. They are all excellent and fairly priced.(Veuve Clicquot, Mumms Cordon Rouge, Pommery, Perrier Jouet, Moet & Chandon, Lanson and Laurent Perrier) The more upscale champagnes for that very very special occasion would be Dom Perignon and Crystal but these very exceptional champagnes usually hover around the $200 price range.

When you think of champagne you would typically expect to see a white sparkling wine which more often than not is the case. However the region also produces some excellent pink champagnes which are not to be overlooked! In order for a sparkling wine to classified as a champagne it must come from the champagne region in the north east of France! The quality control that is put into these wines is not to be overlooked or neglected.

There are also many other countries that produce very interesting sparkling wines such as Italy, Germany, Spain, Hungary, and of course California just to name a few. Many of these sparkling wines are of very good quality and are less expensive and usually range from $12 and up. Notable brands to consider are (Asti Spumante, Henkell Trocken, Codorniu, Grande Cuvee and California's Mumms Cuvee Napa which is a bit more expensive than the others I mentioned above but is one of the best sparkling wines you will find that can compare to a real champagne.

Another popular way to use sparkling wines is to make what is referred to as a mimosa. A mimosa is a mixture of sparkling white wine and orange juice. This is what we find often at weddings where this mixture is seen flowing from a fountain usually in the lobby of the reception hall. You can also serve a mimosa with brunch to please all of your invited guests. In case your wondering what the recommended mixture is to create your mimosa I can tell you that I recommend a half and half ratio.

So cheers to you and enjoy the moment!

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