food
Budget-friendly ways to drink bubbles for New Year’s
Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, December 31, 2015.Budget-friendly ways to drink bubbles for New Year's
You don’t have to break the bank to pop a cork this New Year’s.
Though champagne will always be the tipple of choice for many purists come midnight, revellers with more modest budgets can still sip fabulously on a flute of bubbly for a quarter of the price thanks to alternatives like Prosecco, cremant, cava and sparkling wine.
Here are a few recommendations from select experts:
Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut
A sparkling wine from Alsace, wine expert Nick Passmore describes the cremant as full-flavoured, rich, balanced and not too sweet in a piece for Forbes.com. Tasting notes from the winemaker include floral aromas as well as peach and apricot notes.
Average price: US$17 (RM73)
Tanners Prosecco Brut, Italy
Experts at Decanter magazine praise this budget Prosecco for its lively, ripe summer fruits, lemon intensity, and tangy finish.
Average retail price: US$15
Avinyo Reserva Brut Nature Cava, Spain
"Food and Wine" expert Ray Isle included this family-owned cava from Catalonia in his list of favorite bottles, calling it “steely” and “focused.”
Average retail price: US$21
Gruet, Brut Rosé, New Mexico, USA
If ever you’re going to break out something pink and bubbly, it should be New Year’s. For that, Vogue recommends a budget-friendly bottle of Gruet Brut Rose, an unapologetically garnet pink sparkler that’s 100% Pinot Noir. Wine & Spirits also named the bottle a ‘Best Buy’ this summer.
Retail price: US$17
Lucas Carton Champagne Demoiselle NV, Champagne, France
For those willing to shell out a little more, Forbes contributor Nick Passmore calls this the best champagne US$30 can buy.
“It has an intensity, a fullness you don’t find in many, far more expensive big name brands.” The bubbly is predominantly a blend of Chardonnay with some Pinot Noir.
US$30. – AFP/Relaxnews, December 31, 2015.
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