Got bargain bubbly? And how!
“Everybody’s discounting this time of the year,” says wine expert Kevin Zraly. Zraly — the wine director of the World Trade Center’s Windows on the World restaurant until the terror attacks in 2001 — points to a decline in Champagne sales and indeed all wines priced over $35 a bottle.
“You would think just the opposite. That this is the time they sell most of it, so that they would raise their prices,” he says. “It’s not working that way. This is actually a great time to buy.”
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Zraly knows a thing or two about wine: For the new 25th-anniversary edition of his best-selling wine book, “Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World: Complete Wine Course,” he visited 15 countries — 100 wine regions in all — and tasted 5,000 wines. Now in its 34th year, his Windows on the World Wine School has had more than 20,000 graduates.
As part of Zraly’s class on Champagne, he conducts a blind tasting of a luxury Champagne selling for $150 a bottle versus a cheaper nonvintage Champagne such as Pommery or Veuve Clicquot.
The verdict? “They all vote for the less expensive nonvintage. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference,” he says, noting that even professionals have trouble tasting sparkling wines because of the carbonation. “And if you can’t taste the difference, why are you paying the difference?”
Fortunately, even those without $40 to spend on a bottle of Veuve Clicquot will find plenty of fabulous alternatives — from California sparkling wine to Spanish cava to Italian Prosecco — with which to toast the new year. “This is the best time ever for sparkling wine outside of Champagne,” notes Zraly.
Read on for Zraly’s top value picks for cava, Champagne, California sparkling wine and Prosecco. All offer a balance of fruit, carbonation and acidity at great prices.
CHAMPAGNE
The best sparkling wines in the world are made in the Champagne region of France using pinot noir, pinot meunier and Chardonnay grapes. After all, the region not only perfected the bottle-fermentation process used to make sparkling wines, its northerly location produces grapes with trademark high acidity. Bottles labeled “Brut” are actually drier than those marked “Extra Dry.” Find a good selection on the wine list at Cafe Boulud, 20 E. 76th St.; 212-772-2600.
* Nicolas Feuillatte Brut NV (* Best Champagne bargain): Very clean, light-to-medium style, from a relative newcomer. $26.99 at Warehouse Wines & Spirits; 212-982-7770.
* Pommery Brut NV: Similarly fresh, light-to-medium style. $31.95 at Sherry-Lehmann; 212-838-7500.
* Veuve Clicquot Brut NV (* Best splurge): Full and rich; No. 1-selling Champagne in American tablecloth restaurants for a reason. $37.99 at Warehouse Wines & Spirits; 212-982-7770.
CAVA
(* Best for big bashes)
Produced in the Penedes region of Spain with indigenous grapes, cava is made using the same bottle-fermentation method as Champagne. Find a good selection on the wine list at Casa Mono, 52 Irving Place; 212-253-2773.
* Cristalino Brut (* Best bargain): Light, refreshing and easy to drink. $6.99 at Warehouse Wines & Spirits; 212-982-7770.
* Codorniu Brut: Another light crowd-pleaser from Spain’s oldest cava producer. $7.99 at Gotham Wines; 212-932-0990. For more intensity, try Codorniu’s cava made from 100 percent pinot noir, the major grape in Champagne. $14.95 at Morrell; 212-688-9370.
* Reserva Heredad Brut, Segura Viudas (* Best gift): “Reserva” cava has been aged using grapes from a high-quality vineyard, translating to more body and intensity of flavor. A pewter base makes it a great gift item. $19.99 at Astor Wines; 212-674-7500.
CALIFORNIA SPARKLING WINE
Good news: Fuller-bodied California sparkling wines no longer lack the fresh acidity so desirable in their French brethren.
This is thanks to a blend of pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes that are picked early so that they’re not too sweet. In general, the French make the best sparkling wine in California. You can find a good selection on the wine list at Charlie Palmer hotspot Aureole, 135 W. 42nd St.; 212-319-1660.
* Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noirs: This is the first of the French invasion into California, from the makers of top luxury bubbly Dom Perignon. $12.99 at Warehouse Wines & Spirits; 212-982-7770.
* Roederer Estate Brut: Produced in the cooler climate of Anderson Valley by the same folks who bottle Cristal. $18.95 at Sherry-Lehmann; 212-838-7500.
* Domaine Carneros Brut: Crisp and elegant, from the producers of Taittinger. $19.95 at Sherry-Lehmann; 212-838-7500.
PROSECCO
(* Best for New Year’s Day brunch)
The only category that’s not bottle-fermented, contributing to its lower price and carbonation levels. Prosecco is the name of the grape, but the best come from the Veneto region of Italy. Perfect for mixing in bellinis and mimosas. Find a good selection on the wine list at Babbo (110 Waverly Place; 212-777-0303) and Del Posto (85 10th Ave.; 212-497-8090).
* Zardetto: Reliable producer in an unreliable field. $12.99 at Astor Wines; 212-674-7500.
* Mionetto: Similarly dependable. $9.99 at Warehouse Wines & Spirits; 212-982-7770.
10 fast Champagne facts from Kevin Zraly
1. There is three times as much pressure in a bottle of Champagne as there is in a car tire.
2. Sparkling wine not only tastes better refrigerator cold (38 to 40 degrees) — it’s also dangerous to open when warm.
3. Most bubblies don’t need to be aged and are ready to drink.
4. Open a bottle without a pop — or risk letting out all the CO2.
5. To keep in the carbonation, serve sparkling wine in flute-style glasses.
6. Champagne is one of the most versatile and food-friendly wines available, matching well with dishes that are fried (calamari, french fries), salty (caviar) or spicy (Chinese, Thai or Mexican). For an entree, try lobster, scallops, chicken or light fish in a white cream sauce, with shiitake mushrooms and risotto.
7. Avoid pairing Champagne with chocolates, sweets or heavier foods such as steaks.
8. Champagne has varying levels of sweetness (brut means very, very dry) and weight (light, medium or full body).
9. The size and quantity of bubbles is an indicator of quality — the better the wine, the smaller and more plentiful the bubbles.
10. On average, one bottle of Champagne has 49 million bubbles.
carla.spartos@nypost.com