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Family, love, giving... blah, blah, blah. The holidays are about drinking, none more so than New Year's Eve. No bottom-shelf bullshit, this is go time. Get thee to the nearest party and shower every woman you like with Champagne. You just need to know which one to purchase.
Use this guide to learn how to read a Champagne label, and how to tell the difference between Champagne and other bubbly wine. Everything culminates with Complex's picks for Champagnes to buy this year. Pop bottles.
Vintage vs Non-Vintage
Vintage vs. Non-Vintage
Bottles in the average celebratory price-range are usually non-vintage, meaning they're made with blended Champagnes to achieve a specific taste. This way, Moët can make its Champagne taste like Moët should, every time. If there's no year printed on the label, it's likely non-vintage.
Vintage Champagnes exhibit specific characteristics associated with respective years and harvests. They can be enjoyed whenever, but they often cost more so you might want to buy for drinking in the early hours instead of dousing the room when the ball drops.
Sweet vs Dry
Sweet vs. Dry
Most sparkling wines and champagnes in the United States fall under the Brut designation, as American tastes lean toward dryer champagnes. Sweeter wines are by no means bad, and can be amazing, so it's really a matter of taste.
If you like it a little sweeter, here's the breakdown, from driest to sweetest: Extra Brut (rare in the U.S.), Brut (most champagnes that you see), Extra Dry (misleadingly named, actually slightly sweet), Sec, Demi-Sec, Doux (rare in the U.S.).
Designation
Designation
"Premier Cru" and "Grand Cru" refer to the grapes used, and classify the wine based on vineyard type. In theory, the best vineyards grow the best grapes, which in turn make the best Champagne. Grand Cru vineyards are at the top of the scale and Premier Cru is just below, representing high-quality vineyards.
If there is no Cru designation, that doesn't necessarily mean it's not good; it just means that the wine bosses haven't gone in there and certified the vineyard yet.
NV vs. RM
NM vs. RM
Grower Champagnes come from small-house vintners who are bringing new taste profiles to the market. On the front label, look for the designation RM (Récoltant-Manipulant), which means that the grapes used are from a single grower. These give more of a return for your money on the quality/value meter.
As far as seeking out a good one, RM Champagnes by Terry Theise are always bangers (his name will be on the back label). NM (Négociant-Manipulant) designates a larger house that purchases grapes from all over the Champagne region. There are more specifics, but that's what Wikipedia is for.
Sparkling White wine
Sparkling White Wine
Champagne is from France, so if you make it in California you have to call it something else. Sparkling white wines can come from anywhere in the world, but typically refer to those produced outside of Europe. The best are produced the same way Champagne is, using the same techniques and grapes. Unlike with Champagne there are no laws in place to assure a minimum degree of quality, so the variation between wines can be significant. Sparkling producers in California founded by Champagne houses often have the highest quality, but your best bet is to find a wine shop you trust and let them talk you through it.
Cava
Cava
Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain that gets its bubbles the same way Champagne does (in-bottle fermentation). It has different characteristics than Champagne, mainly because there are less strict aging requirements and the grapes used are different. In general, it's the lowest on the quality and the price rung, but there are some great Cavas out there.
Prosecco
Prosecco
This sparkling awesomeness is named after a white grape from the Veneto region of northeast Italy. Prosecco gets its carbonation by fermenting in batches in large, sealed containers—slightly different from Champagne, but pretty close. It is often sweetened to a higher level than Brut Champagne in the finishing stage, and does not age the way Champagne does. On average it's less expensive than Champagne, and should be drank fairly soon after its creation. A cheaper wine is just that, so it does take a knee when you start comparing it to vintage Champagnes on scales of depth and complexity.
Champagne
Champagne
Champagnes typically start as a blend of lower-alcohol still wines to which yeast and sugar are added and then sealed in the bottle. The ingredients go through a second fermentation process that creates additional alcohol and the trademark bubbles. Before it ships, the champagne is filtered of the yeast and finished with additional wine and sugar, determining the classification (Brut, Doux, etc.) and final taste profile.
Aubry
Aubry Jouy-les-Reims Brut Premier Cru
This small-batch grower's Champagne is dry and tart, with an almost bitter flavor in the first sip of bubbles. A great outside-the-box wine to experiment with.
Imperial
Moët & Chandon Imperial
Floral with hints of apple, this Champagne is sweet with just the right amount of dryness for that nice balance. Perfect for any type of party, and it goes great with sushi.
Grand Brut
Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut
Although light, this Champagne has intense flavors of apricot, lime, and baked apple. The sleeper of the bubbly staples; drink it ice cold.
Rose
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Rosé
There are strong hints of strawberries in this bottle, with the red wine component counter-balancing the sweetness. We don't get the rapper/rosé phenomenon, only that this type is more fruit-forward on the palate and gets extra points with the ladies. Oh, now we get it.
CHARTOGNE-TAILLET-SAINTE-ANNE BRUT
CHARTOGNE-TAILLET-SAINTE-ANNE BRUT
Another small-house Champagne, this one can party with the best of them—pinpoint-sized bubbles, crisp, fresh flavor, and a "you don't know" factor that will get you in the door. Added bonus: notes of honey and citrus with a vanilla finish.