Pop Goes the New Year

A New Year’s celebration just isn’t the same without a bottle of bubbly to help ring it in. But what bottle is best for you? Champagne, cava, prosecco? That depends on your taste.

“Cava is made in the same method as Champagne,” explains Mimi McLaughlin, co-owner of Saugatuck Grain & Grape. “So most cavas are going to have a similar character to champagne.” Cava, of course, is the Spanish answer to the celebrated French sparkler.

“Prosecco is made differently,” McLaughlin continues, explaining Italy’s bubbly. “It’s steel-barrel fermented, so it will taste a little different.” Often, a prosecco will be slightly sweeter than a brut cava or Champagne, which can make it a terrific option to pair with dessert, or to use when making mimosas or Bellini.

Of course, nothing quite beats the real thing. “There are so many really great bottles of Champagne out there,” says McLaughlin. “They just don’t have the name recognition you’ll see with some of the bigger brands.”

What should you look for when choosing a bottle of Champagne?

If the label indicates that it is estate bottled, that means the grapes are grown and fermented in the same place. Some larger labels will source their grapes from different growers, producing a blended Champagne, which will have a slightly different taste and character.

Whatever your taste, there’s a bottle of bubbles out there that’s sure to help you ring in the New Year with a pop.

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