Time to wake up!

[wdonovan]

Holidays are coming soon so I think that this forum should wake up and smell the Champagne! I should be seeing a pair of '96 La Grande Dames today. At least one will surely make the Xmas Eve or Xmas day menu. I've also managed to track down a single '88 Jacquesson DT that is our favorite and very hard to get in the states. It is slated for New Years Eve. Last Xmas we picked one up at the vinyard and drank it on the Champs Elysee for NYE. This bottle can possibly console us for not being able to repeat the trip this year.
Sadly this forum hibernates, presumably because, outside of the region, Champagne is mostly drunk only to celebrate. On the brighter side, the time for its annual awakening is rapidly approaching. What does everyone have lined up?

[hotwine]

Have a single bottle of the '90 Grande Dame asleep in the cellar but not sure if we'll pop it this year. Others will probably all be Taittinger NV brut.

[dananne]

We drink sparkling wine year-round, and all summer had a "Sparkling Sunday" ritual. However, we hardly ever have Champagne -- we drink caseloads of Gruet (our house sparkler), lots of Cava, and lots of Prosecco.

We usually do, however, pop real Champagne over the holidays. Have no idea what we'll open this year, though.

[winoweenie]

CB and I open a sparkler about once a month for a late Sunday brunch. Breakfast of Champions. WW [img]http://216.81.73.156/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

[VouvrayHead]

We had a Schramsberg '02 Blanc de Noir just the other day... (I also go for some good bubbly once a month or so on Sundays) It was just gorgeous for $30. Served with Gluten-Free vegan pancakes (which are very good), homemade apple compote, a melon salad, and some homemade hashbrowns, the Schramsberg was nutty and berryish with some dry honey notes, too. It was enjoyed very much, and the notes are vague and from memory! [img]http://216.81.73.156/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

For New Years I have some Egly-Ouriet Cuvee Special, which I have not had yet but is their top NV. Their regular cuvee is my favorite of the basic NV champagne houses.

I also have a bottle of 96 Dom, but think I'll wait a bit longer.

Probably for the rest of the party I'll serve Lucien Albrecht Blanc de Blancs, Gruet Blanc de Noirs, and Cristalino Rose or another cheap Rose Cava. (All $10-$15)

My girlie especially loves anything bubbly, so we try to drink as much of it as we can throughout the year!