Christmas Champagne

And a very Merry Christmas to you all!

A glass of champagne in a tall red flute embossed with gold is a fine way to bring in an eve any time of year but especially amidst the flurry of holiday activity around Christmas. What better to help a girl unwind then a cheap bottle of champagne and a bath?

I'm drinking Seaview Brut Champagne out of Australia. It went for $11.45 CDN LCBO #216333 at the liquor store. A steal considering it actually has an earthy, grassy, embracing, full bodied, satisfying, not to sweet bite to its bubble. And that's what I like in a man, er, a champagne.

Here are a couple of the official reviews:

Seaview Brut NV: The Aussies are the masters of this type of go-anywhere fizz, and it shows: Pop a bottle and let the bubbles do the talking. TASTING NOTE: Dry, but not too sharp, medium-bodied, rounded, fruity, soft and very approachable with a refreshing fizz. www.oddbins.com

# 1 SPARKLING
Why is this, year in year out, Australia's biggest selling sparkling wine? Because it is very, very good and for the price offers a great degree of excellent fruit flavours and a full bodied , balanced palate. www.thegrape.com.au

And in the annual Toronto Wine and Cheese Show Wine Competition, the Seaview Brut won a silver in the best sparkling wine under $19.99.

And even Tony Aspler, the renowned wine guy, gave it a thumbs up as well as an explanation why champagne makes one feel so buzzed so quickly!

And Natalie Maclean of Nat Decants, winner of the 2003 and 2004 James Beard award and the 2004 MFK Fisher Distinguished Food Writing Award, says this about it: Sparkling Wine and Champagne Seaview Brut, Australia ($11.45, 216333): Fresh and lively, one of the best values sparkling wines on the market.

So, if you live in Ontario, head out and buy yourself some for New Years!

Comments

[orionoir]

when i was young(er) we used to drink this cheap champagne from a black bottle, there was an after-taste wh didn't really belong, the way tap-water in some cities can be, but the secret for this and all cheap champagnes (i reveal to you now) is to chill it way way down in the way that liquid nitrogen tends to chill things way way down. no liquid nitrogen? despair not, simply bathe the bottle in a whole lot of ice with rock salt (no, use more than that) (nope, even more), twirl it, twirl it, pull it out! nope, too late, it's all turned to slush. that might be a little bit of like vodka on the top. next time pull it out the moment before it slushifies.