Oh sure, Champagne gets all the credit this festive time of year. But before you pop open another bottle of tried and true champers, consider some of your other fizzy options.
Bouchard Aîné & Fils Brut 2007 is December’s Wine of the Month. I picked up a couple of bottles of it and a few other goodies when I visited the Bouchard Aîné & Fils maison back in May. Indeed, this is my second Bouchard Aîné & Fils WOTM selection this year. The Clos du Roi Cuvee Signature 2009 really knocked my socks off earlier this year with its depth and complexity.
Essentially a sparkling wine from Burgundy, crémants de Bourgogne offer exceptional value for money. If you’re able to find this particular crémant in the shops or online odds are you’ll only pay around a tenner for it. Bouchard Aîné & Fils Brut 2007 is top quality stuff made in the méthode traditionnelle (eg like they do it in Champagne). You’d pay a lot more for a comparable bubbly that happened to have been made from grapes grown in Champagne – just because it’s from Champagne.
I’m certainly not one to shun Champagne, but neither am I one to keep my other options closed to delicious possibilities. I like to mix things up from time to time, especially when sampling something a little different might enlighten me or save me money. Bouchard Aîné & Fils Crémant de Bourgogne Brut, 2007 started my Thanksgiving dinner off on just the right celebratory note … and raised eyebrows when I explained it wasn’t actually Champagne. I’ve got another bottle in the fridge for New Year’s Eve. And I wish I had a few extra bottles for more upcoming toasts.
Have a merry Christmas and happy new year everybody! Cheers 🙂
