champagne taste, beer budget guide to new year’s eve

“Always keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you’ve got a bottle of champagne in the fridge.” 

                                                                      – Hester Browne

With Christmas officially over, New Year’s Eve is suddenly looming large ahead of us. We’re all scrambling to shed those pesky Christmas lbs. so we can slip into our sequined ensembles, brainstorm resolutions, finalize plans for the 31st and, of course, figure out who your midnight kiss will be.

The one certainty? That at midnight, you will hear pop fizz clink! Bubbly is wonderful for year round but it can be pricey and thus, sometimes limited to a few times a year. Thankfully, I’ve discovered several bubbly bottles that won’t break the bank so don’t sweat about making Hester’s quote your new life philosophy. champagne taste, beer budget guide to new year's eveWhile I’d love to ring in the New Year sipping Veuve Clicquot, that’s not exactly in my price range as a 24 year old at $65+. To be honest, I’d rather spend the money on a sequined outfit for the night. I still like to wistfully look at their bottles as I wait to check out at Trader Joe’s because a girl can dream.

The mid-price range is more my cup of tea: both Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s offer a solid variety of champagnes between $10 and $20 that taste delicious and look dazzling in their flutes on a serving tray. A win-win for cocktails and hosting.

Charles de Marque can be purchased at Trader Joe’s for $19.99 and I’ve found Korbel at Wegman’s for the same price, too. I’ll let you in on a little secret: I really cannot taste the difference between a mid-priced bottle and an expensive bottle. So I’d rather save the extra money for snacks (or sequins…) and buy the mid-priced brand.

The wallet-friendly champagne options are typically under $10 and this territory goes more into a “sparkling wine” label. Champagne can only be produced in the Champagne region of France, everything else bubbly is categorized as “sparkling wine.” If you decide to create a fizzy cocktail for your NYE, I’d suggest you stick with this price range.

Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs is my favorite for mimosas at home because at $4.50 a pop (get it??), you can really stock up! TJ’s also carries Blason de Bourgogne for a cool $10. Blason is intriguing because of its blended grapes and finer bubbles.

Whichever your price range may be, cheers! Or rather, pop fizz clink!

- Lauren Anne

 

 

 

 

 

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1 Comments

  1. 12.26.13
    Sarah said:

    This post is actually so helpful! Thank you!

    Sarah

    aroseinthecity0.blogspot.com