Everyone loves Champagne, and everyone dreads buying it. What kind shall I buy? Will the quality be good? What’s the difference between Champagne and other sparkling wines?
This week’s wine deal is about a great Champagne. Head over to Costco in Carlsbad for non-vintage Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut for $43, the lowest price you’ll ever see for this wine.
True Champagne, produced with what is called the Traditional Method, can only come from the French wine-growing region of Champagne. No other sparkling wine can legally be called Champagne (although some American producers are allowed to label their wines California Champagne).
Veueve Clicquot is one of the oldest Champagne houses in France, and was brought to prominence by one of the world’s first great businesseswoman. Named after the widowed Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin (Veuve means widow in French), this wine was one of the first to use labels, instead of cork imprints, to distinguish and market the product. The unique shade of yellow was also copyrighted. Before the nineteenth century, you only knew what wine you were drinking after opening the bottle and looking at the cork!
Costco has a stock of limited edition Journey Arrow Tins, which means in addition to this delicious Champagne, you’ll get impressive tin packaging and a souvenir arrow-like sign embossed with the great cities of the world. Tell ‘em KutaSomm sent ‘ya.
