Buying Bubbly

NEW YORK—The more important the event, the higher the anxiety level for the wine buyer. And only one wine is associated with weddings, holiday dinners, and New Year’s Eve: Champagne.

With all that pressure, people often freeze up when picking one out—indeed, some wines have experienced success not because they are of better quality, but because they bear recognizable labels and pronounceable names. Herewith, a quick primer to selecting, corking, and enjoying the world’s most famous sparkling wine.

Grape Expectations
You don’t need to worry about the component parts of Champagne, because blending different grapes from different vineyards is the entire basis of winemaking in the region. And the grape names don’t appear on the label. Generally, three varietals are used: Two very familiar ones, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, plus Pinot Meunier. Tip: If a bottle says blanc de blancs, it’s 100 percent Chardonnay.

Year by Year
Basic Champagne is non-vintage (NV), meaning grapes grown and harvested in different years have been blended. Vintage Champagne is fancier, rarer, and more expensive—most houses don’t even make it every year. The most important experiment you can do when learning about Champagne is to buy a producer’s NV wine along with a vintage-dated one from the same house. Taste them side by side and see what all the fuss is about. The depth of these vintage wines will surprise you.

House of Style
Because Champagne is all about blending, each producer in the region tries to keep a consistent style every year. Try a few different ones to learn how the house styles taste, then just pick your favorite—as with any wine, there’s no wrong answer.

Pretty in Pink
Rosé Champagne gets its pink color just like a still rosé does, from coming into contact with red grape skins (in this case, Pinot Noir). Rosé Champagne is enjoying something of a renaissance, and a smart way to experience it is to taste a rosé Champagne alongside a traditional version from the same house. Rosé also comes in NV and vintage editions.

Brut Force
Wines that say brut on the label are dry, and this includes about 90 percent of all Champagne. Sec and demi-sec describe varying degrees of sweetness; these can be wonderful wines, but they’re an acquired taste.

Looks are Everything
Small, vigorous bubbles are what you want to see. Champagne should be pale straw in tone or have a more golden color, and, like any wine, it should be brilliantly clear, not cloudy. As Champagnes age, they get darker. And yes, high-quality vintage Champagne in particular can age magnificently, if well stored in a cool, dark, temperature-controlled place.

Protect and Serve
When opening a bottle, put a napkin or dishtowel over the cork and wiggle it out—don’t let it pop out and fly across the room. (That’s a sure way to lose guests—or an eye.) Champagne should be served cold, and the easiest way to get it to the correct temperature is in a bucket full of ice and water. Ice alone won’t do the job. Flutes are the only acceptable glassware, and they should always be clear so you can see the glorious wine you’re drinking.

Dish It Up
People are so used to toasting with Champagne and drinking it as an aperitif with caviar that they never find out how truly food-friendly it is. Serve it with seafood just as you would a still white wine, or pair a particularly toasty-tasting vintage example with a roast chicken. Rosé bubbly works shockingly well with that other pleasantly pink delight, salmon.

Ted Loos, executive editor of Art+Auction magazine, is the former features editor of Wine Spectator and has written on wine for Bon Appétit, Town & Country, and many other publications. He's the author of Town & Country Wine Companion: A Tasting Guide and Journal (Hearst Books; $12.95), published this fall. "In the Cellar" appears on ARTINFO every other Wednesday.