Oh dear, pretty myopic view on Prosecco / sparkling wine there.
The best thing you can ever do is blind taste, so you concentrate on the product rather than the fact it cost over £100 a bottle.
For < £10 try Waitrose Valdo Oro Puro Prosecco Superiore (it's often on offer)
For < £20 try Cloudy Bay Pelorus
Both are great IMO.
+1 for Cremant de Bourgogne. 5-6 euro a bottle direct from the producer, same grapes, same method. Best tasting Champagne I ever tried. but then I am just a pleb 🙂
I've been fortunate to try a few differnt glasses of the bubbly stuff over the years... I even did a cellar tour at Moet in Epernay... I enjoyed the light read of the blog.
Dom P - lovely, pricey but lovely
Cristal - ok, but a bit flowery/perfumed for me, which is a good job as its rather expensive
Moet - crap
Veuve - a good solid reliable champers at a good price
Bolly - quite nice but Veuve is cheaper
Louis Roderer - pretty good, a bit left field, but nice.
Favourite drink is a Bellini made with Veuve BUT not with Prosicko as it ruins it.
We typically see very little of the big name stuff here in France when we drink it, or are offered it. It's interesting, but also )if I'm ever so open and honest at the expense of annoying people), to see how champagne is viewed in the UK. i.e. it's got this 'aura' of pretentiousness around it...and the more common the name the better it is. Apparently.
We had some great organic stuff at our wedding from a small producer.
But I prefer Clairette de Die anyway. Which is one reason why I ride the Dromoise Sportive every year as a free bottle is offered to most who enter.
Favourite drink is a Bellini made with Veuve BUT not with Prosicko as it ruins it.
I have quite a few Italian friends who would take issue with that!
The Wine Society does a great selection of fine champagnes, but personally I've yet to ever pick a £30 bottle of champagne over a £30 bottle of Pomerol!
+1 for Cremant de Bourgogne. 5-6 euro a bottle direct from the producer, same grapes, same method. Best tasting Champagne I ever tried. but then I am just a pleb
Take note, pleb. Champagne only comes from the Champagne region and is a licence to print money and wear silk cravates inside shirt collars. Nowadays it is better known as wine for mugs who like brand names more than the content. 😉
Crement de Bourgogne, Alsace, Limoux, blanquettes, clairettes, Saumur would be a first choice for me, either depending on where in France I'm buying it, or the special offer in the supermarket.
I'm feeling the need to start a "What are you drinking? (fine wines only)" niche thread, and maybe a "What Smoking Jacket?" directly underneath 🙂
Cremant is betterer. It predates the Champagne method
Another for Cremant De Bourgogne - Fantastic caves / sculptures on site also !!
I love Champagne.....especially when its free!
Love the "What Smoking Jacket?" thread idea
Haven't seen if it's been mentioned already but Ridgeview in Mid Sussex produce some great sparkling wines that are a lot better than a fair few champagnes I've tried. I only live round the corner from them so they're easy to get hold of and thoroughly recommended.
if it aint Dom P, its P... 😀
