Some day soon, if you haven't stocked up already, you'll go out on a bubble-buying spree, I bet. No hype intended - it's just that sort of year. For champagne fans, the millennium is a magic excuse to pop corks incessantly for months on end. And they won't be alone. Even people whose fizz consumption to date has hinged on beer and the occasional Alka-seltzer will raise a glass of champers or the next best thing to salute the new century.
If you're the person who ordered 50,000 bottles of Krug a while back to meet every eventuality, you won't need to read on. But those of us with more modest means will want to deliberate a bit about how the bubble budget should be spent. I see it going two ways. If you're planning a big party, forget about vintage champagne, I'd suggest, and lay in generous stocks of a something more straightforward. Special bottles are subtle treats, best enjoyed at a small dinner with family or friends.
The recommendations below are intended to suit both sorts of occasion - the intimate evening with unforgettable champagne and the monster party where fizz fuels the fun. If there's a gap in the £20-25 zone, it's because I can't see much attraction in that middle price range. I'd rather trade up a few pounds to something really good, or choose a decent cheapie. Not that cheap a cheapie, however. At the lower price level, remember, truly bad bubbles are the rule, not the exception. Be millennium-munificent. Here's all you need to know . . .
The Chill Factor
The usual advice is to treat your bubbly to about four hours in the fridge and serve it at 6 to 8 degrees C. But those degrees of difference can matter hugely. Don't over-chill a really good champagne (or you'll numb all the flavour nuances). Do serve a lesser fizz ice cold (and you'll numb its shortcomings).
Opening Gambit
The naff way is with a loud pop, a shocked expression and a great gush of foam. The suave way is to ease the cork out with a gentle sigh. Thus. Carefully remove the foil and wire cage, immediately holding your right hand over the cork (if you're right-handed). Hold the bottle at 45 degrees, pointing away from yourself and anybody else. Rather than twist the cork, continue to hold it firmly and twist the bottle gently to the left instead. As soon as you feel pressure forcing the cork out, apply strong counter-pressure, so that it just slips out gently.
Types and Terms
Most non-vintage champagnes (and many sparklers) are made from one white grape variety, Chardonnay, and two black varieties, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier - with the black varieties usually dominating in the blend. Chardonnay contributes acidity, lightness and elegance; Pinot Noir brings richness and finesse; Pinot Meunier warm, spicy breadth. Blanc de blancs is pure Chardonnay; Blanc de noirs is a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Vintage NV
Vintage champagne is made from a blend of wines from a single year, matured on the yeast lees for at least three years. Non-vintage is made from a blend of wines from different years, matured for at least 15 months. But beware. Vintage isn't necessarily better. It's usually wiser to choose non-vintage from a top name than vintage from an obscure source. Why? Because the best houses take immense pride in the complex blending process, using a proportion of reserve wines from older vintages to produce a non-vintage that's consistent in style, year in, year out. As many as 70 base wines may find their way into an NV. At the top level it's pure art - so why apologise? Vintages to drool over: 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990.
Why the Shocking Price?
Quality bubbly comes only from the first pressing of juice from perfect, hand-picked grapes. Production is a lengthy, complicated business, involving a slow second fermentation in a heavy, shatter-resistant bottle, a period of resting on the lees, the removal of the messy sediment before topping up and sealing with a fat cork. In some cases, flash marketing swells prices. In Ireland, wicked excise duty of £3.23 on every sparkling bottle doesn't help. Fingers crossed that will soon be slashed, as rumoured.