For New Year's my husband and I treated ourselves to two bottles of champagne. Once we hit 30 we stopped having time or patience for low-grade, cheap wines. We graduated from the $6 and under bottles to something at a minimum of $9, usually to $18, $20-30 if we felt like splurging or were taking a bottle to visit friends. The same is true for champagne. However, champagne, from what I've heard, doesn't keep as well once opened, and I can't drink that much in one day, so we only buy it for truly special occasions.
Yet, it is my favorite drink. Something about the bubbles and the crisp taste is magical. I love it. Drinking it makes one feel so special and important. Maybe that has to do with the history and hype, maybe it has to do with the bubbles. Regardless, it's my favorite.
That said, I also suffer terribly from migraines. I know I cannot drink Chardonnay, and yet most champagnes are made made either completely or mostly from chardonnay grapes. To combat that and allow myself to enjoy the drink sans migraine, I took to the internet for a little bit of research.
What I discovered is that Blanc de Noirs are going to be my new best friend. Blanc de Noir refers to a champagne made almost if not entirely from the Pinot Noir grape - a grape I can definitely and safely drink! So after a bit more research I decided that we were going to try out the Great Blanc de Noir and the Schramsberg Blanc de Noir (even though the Schramsberg had a twinge of Chardonnay in it).
The verdict? A-MAZING!!!! The Gruet is definitely a little sweeter and the Schramsberg has the crisp finish and perfect coloring you come to expect in a fine champagne. While neither are officially "Champagnes", because they don't come from Champagne, France, the sparkling wine version just means a lower price tag/better value. For under $50 for each, these wines are a treat in and of themselves.
Cheers, to a great 2016 and a great champagne life!
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