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Piper Heidsieck Champagne: A Toast from Evite and Bevmo!

Piper Heidsieck Champagne

A bubbly personality is great, and so is sparkling wit, but some occasions just call for real Champagne. The holidays feel much more festive with Champagne: you can be sure that friends, family, co-workers and even the occasional stranger will appreciate that you popped for this traditional treat from France.

Sure, it might cost more than a perfectly good Cava from Spain, a decent Italian Prosecco or even an old-world style California sparkler. But how do you put a price on this effervescent elixir? From the time the British “invented” it in the 17th century, Champagne has been the beverage of choice for celebrations.

British, you say? Isn’t Champagne French? Yes, it most certainly is – and it’s always from the Champagne region in France.

But let’s digress. This area 90 miles northeast of Paris is known for its Kimmeridgean limestone soil, a terroir that produces crisp, minerally dry wines. Some of them can be quite feisty during fermentation. Four hundred years ago, French bottles weren’t strong enough to hold them. But British bottles were. This bit of Brit ingenuity allowed a second fermentation in the bottle, trapping carbon dioxide and creating all those lovely little bubbles.

French Champagne (and there is no other kind) doesn’t have to break the bank. Many of the most prestigious French maisons (brands) are easily found for less than $40. Better yet, you can pick up a highly-rated Piper-Heidsieck Brut from Reims (also home to Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Roederer, Krug, Ruinart and Tattinger) for a squeak under $30, as I recently did at BevMo!

This NV Piper-Heidsieck has all the toasty brioche notes you associate with fine Champagne, balanced by a crisp lemony acidity and a creamy mouthfeel. Persistent streams of fine bubbles pleasantly prickle the tongue. The blend is 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier and 15% Chardonnay, with two years of aging and 20% Reserve wines.

So get real (Champagne) and enjoy your holidays that much more. KEN

Piper Heidsieck Champagne from Bevmo!

Why stress when it comes to choosing Holiday Champagne? Evite and BevMo! have put together a fun and informative New Year’s Eve Champagne Guide. It’s full of Holiday entertaining tips as well as creative ideas and new recipes. I particularly like the link to their editor’s pick for the Best Christmas Cookies for Gifting. I’m mean think about it. When you arrive with Champagne in one hand and cookies in the other, you’re bound to be the life of the party.

There’s also several suggestions for Champagne cocktails for every palate. Bright and bubbly with a a hint of sweet raspberry. Gin, Champagne, and Chamord. I added the Chambord Sparkling Champagne Cocktail to my New Year’s Eve menu.

Chambord Champagne Cocktail

There are so many great ideas in this New Year’s Eve Champagne Guide. Which is why we happily agreed to help spread the word about this festive opportunity. After all how hard is to promote Champagne? Especially during the holidays. Cheers! GREG

PS- Please “pop” over to the Champagne Twitter Chat. It’s tonight (Thursday, Dec 19) at 9pm EST. There will be lots more BevMo! party and cocktail tips as well as Evite experts’ DIYs, Champagne recipes, and more. Of course no party is complete without party favors so they’re also giving away American Express gift cards too!

Chambord Sparkling Champagne Cocktail 

Print This Recipe Total time Yield 1Source Adapted from Evite’s NYE Champagne GuidePublished

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ ounce gin
  • 3 ounce Champagne or other sparkling wine
  • ½ ounce Chambord
  • 1 fresh raspberry (as garnish)

Directions

Pour gin, Champagne, and then Chambord into a champagne flute. Garnish with a fresh raspberry.

 

  • Category Sparkling Wine
  • Varietal Pinot Noir
  • Region Champagne France