Bubblicious

“Here’s to Champagne, the drink divine, that makes us forget all our troubles; It’s made of a dollar’s worth of wine, and three dollars worth of bubbles”

Yet a good bottle of bubbly will cost you some serious moolah. I am not even talking about the ultra fine, high end luxury brands either - Cristal or Dom Perignon. It simply isn't in our budget to serve them but we are splurging on an open bar that will include ultra premium hard liquor, unlimited beer and bottles of Remy Martin and Hennessy. Asian people favor the flavor of cognac so no great party is without bottles of VSOP or XO (anything less is not drink-worthy). However, I never developed an affinity for cognac or acquired a taste for alcohol in general. But on some rare occasions like uh a wedding, I do drink. And my preferred choice is champagne. So while I can't have bottles of Moet & Chandon (Parent company of Hennessy), I found an equally tasteful choice for a lot less. Let me introduce you to Westport Rivers sparkling wine. Yes, sparkling wine. In France, by law, a sparkling wine is called champagne but only if it is produced in France and is made by what is called la methode champenoise. Anything else is called sparkling wine. Now that doesn't mean sparkling wine is inferior to Champagne. The U.S produces plenty of fine sparkling wines including Westport Rivers, which is a local favorite that has won rave reviews and international recognition. My personal fave is the 99" Blanc de noir. It has a distinctively delicate flavor layered in fruit with a smooth clean finish that is refreshing to the palate. The best part is a bottle retails between $25-$35. Budget friendly without compromising taste. I hope my guests will be able to admire the flavor as they sip the tiny bubbles and look upon its lovely sun set colours with pleasure.