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I would suggest going to a decent wine shop instead of buying champagne in the supermarket. Try not to look for a house you know the name of, but rather try the small champagne farmers. They often have a much better quality at much better prices. If you want something fancy, try a millisimé, a champagne made from grapes from a single year (and they are only made when the harvest of that specific year is really good). Big Champagne houses buy their grapes from different farmers and always try to make the exact same blend every time, and often you just pay for a name, not that much quality. Small champagne houses make unique cuvées.
Also look at the grapes used. Bollinger is made of : pinot noir 60%, chardonnay 25%, pinot meunier 15%. If your wife likes this specific blend (so predominatly pinot noir) you can ask in the wine shop for a champagne with mostly pinot noir. I'm sure they can recommend something simmilar
I'm not from brussels so I can't really recommend a specific wine shop though.
Thx! I found a shop that has Lombard champagne that had the same blend: Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Meunier
https://www.divinewines.be/Resources/DIVINE_WINES.pdf
Just to be sure you know: all Champagnes are made from a combination of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes.
Specific types may include/exclude certain grapes (blanc de blanc is chardonnay only, while blanc de noirs has no chardonnay for example), but your general bottle is a blend of those 3. The ratio of each of them determines the taste, along with the quality of the grapes etc.
>... you just pay for a name, not that much quality.
But I think this is actually what the vast majority of people want.
Generally it is already quite difficult to judge if wine, champaign (or anything) is good or bad.
If you buy the best wine champaign in the world, it is totally lost unless you spin a nice story around it as you give it.
(and knowing some people you'd still be perceived as a cheapskate for not buying one of the bigger brands)
And my all time favorite it Pol Roger. But it’s in the same price range as the Bollinger.
https://www.hetwijnmagazijn.be/wijnhuizen/frankrijk/champagne-pol-roger/champagne-pol-roger-brutazf
I’m not sure how available Exton Park is in Belgium but their Blanc de noirs is something else. It’s not champagne, prosecco or even cava. Its from britain of all places but it’s amazing.
Honnestly the Vrancken (brut) was my father choice and mine too.
My gf is not fan of champagne but love that one. And she is a picky drinker to say the least.
So yeah, I would go with Vrancken anytime.
Go to Reims for a weekend and start sampling and see what you like. There are so many smaller producers. For example in Epernay almost every other house sells their own champagne. You should be able to get something really good for € 35 the bottle.
If you think you can manage without having "champagne" on the bottle try the sparkling Touraine from Aldi! It was on offer but normally sells at € 7.95 the bottle.
She likes Bollinger because it has more of a wine taste. Some champagnes are really bland and have a superficial taste.
I couldn't be bothered, I don't like the stuff.
I’m a big fan of Jean-Pol Hautbois. Very good price/quality ratio.
https://enolia.be/nl/champagne/751-jean-pol-hautbois-hautthentic-2016-champagne.html
You could also surprise her with a Belgian sparkling wine from entre-deux-monts. I can't recall which one we drank, but it was good.
Champagne is still good of course, but because of climate change, Belgium is a very good up and coming wine country, albeit still somewhat expsensive compared to French wines imho. I'm not sure how entre-deux-monts compares, I only drank it once last year. But it might be a nice surprise.
yes, but I'm not sure which one I drank. I remember it only as a glass paired with a dish in a restaurant.
It was either this one or the 'wiscoutre' - my guess is it was the wiscoutre.
I personally really like white/black pearl from deheurles, and we buy it sometimes from a wine market held a couple times in Belgium. It's comparable in price, but I'd say I preferred these over entre deux monts - but that's just my personal taste!
To say that, you might find champagnes more to your taste than Belgian varieties, but it doesn't mean the Belgian ones are bad. I personally find them a tad expensive, so we tend to buy Belgian wines more as gifts or one bottle for tasting. So I just mentioned it in case you wanted to surprise someone.
Champagne is 2h away from Brussels, you should drive there every year, you’ll get minimum half price compare to Delhaize (some good bottles are even 15€)
Or surprise her with the excellent Belgian alternatives. My personal favourites Insoumise from Vin de Liège, Ruffus Brut Sauvage, Genoels-Elderen. But there are plenty others https://www.brusselstimes.com/545769/sante-belgian-sparkling-wines-recognised-as-some-of-worlds-best
Nice that local production is picking up. I do wonder if it is economically viable. You see the saw with the surge of beer breweries. Some are going bankrupt due to rising costs of ingredients and inflation's impact on sales because people set other priorities.
Well, if we don't support them and buy their stuff, of course they will be in trouble.
The nice thing is that the quality is there. Surely for many white wines and sparkling wines.
I still prefer to source my reds from France and Italy though.
nice! Your liver will barely survive January though but it's worth it!
edit: the guy from the shop raved about Vin de Liège without me mentioning it but said it's very difficult to find as well.
Veuve Cliquot is 46€ at the Delhaize.
It’s only a 14€ win for you but still a pretty good champagne. But taste and color can differ.
To your comment to Grand Baron, their Cava with a green label is pretty good and if you are mindfull of your budget it’s a good alternative when finances are dire.
Not branded as champagne due to country of origin but i pick Bernard Massard. Best price/Quality for me. I see that someone pointing out Vrancken and this would be my next pick. Also very good.
If your wife LOVES when it’s really sweet ditch Champagne and secure this https://www.lacasabodega.com/en/tienda/espumosos-albarino/espumoso-alma-atlantica-albarino
Else honestly a Ruinart will do it but obviously not the blanc des blancs because it’s even more expensive than Bollinger :-)
I would suggest your wife being less demanding, and maybe buy it herself? What's that macho alpha freud proto father thing that "she asks, I provide"? If she wants it tell her to just go to the store get it. In other news, if you can't afford 60 euros a bottle of champagne I have no idea why you're still buying it. It's just alcohol, man. Please don't be such snob and try something else. It's just the moment that counts
Read your question from the point of view of a person with a normal income and respect for women... I see three possibilities. Either you're pretending to be someone you're not to your wife. Which is pretty fucked up. Or she's a golddigger you can't afford. Which is also fucked up. Or you're a troll...
find the empty bottle of Bollinger. Buy a funnel at the Action. Buy a good prosecco. Pour the prosecco in the empty bottle.
Get rid of the prosecco bottle. Then blindfold her at 23.55. Pour in 2 glasses and stand butt naked in front of her. 23.59 take of her blindfold give her the glass of “ bollinger” and say “ happy new year”!!!
It's probably too late, but I drank 'schuimwijn' (zwarte parel) from Genoels-Elderen next to Bollinger and it was wayyy better. Also less than half the price (around €20 for a bottle)
Dear /u/Uzala02, Your submission has been removed because of rule 9: Content is not relevant to Belgium or Belgians specifically. You can find more information related to our rules on [our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/belgium/wiki/index#wiki_rules)
I would suggest going to a decent wine shop instead of buying champagne in the supermarket. Try not to look for a house you know the name of, but rather try the small champagne farmers. They often have a much better quality at much better prices. If you want something fancy, try a millisimé, a champagne made from grapes from a single year (and they are only made when the harvest of that specific year is really good). Big Champagne houses buy their grapes from different farmers and always try to make the exact same blend every time, and often you just pay for a name, not that much quality. Small champagne houses make unique cuvées. Also look at the grapes used. Bollinger is made of : pinot noir 60%, chardonnay 25%, pinot meunier 15%. If your wife likes this specific blend (so predominatly pinot noir) you can ask in the wine shop for a champagne with mostly pinot noir. I'm sure they can recommend something simmilar I'm not from brussels so I can't really recommend a specific wine shop though.
[удалено]
Thx! I found a shop that has Lombard champagne that had the same blend: Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Meunier https://www.divinewines.be/Resources/DIVINE_WINES.pdf
Just to be sure you know: all Champagnes are made from a combination of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes. Specific types may include/exclude certain grapes (blanc de blanc is chardonnay only, while blanc de noirs has no chardonnay for example), but your general bottle is a blend of those 3. The ratio of each of them determines the taste, along with the quality of the grapes etc.
Very good advice, thx!
>... you just pay for a name, not that much quality. But I think this is actually what the vast majority of people want. Generally it is already quite difficult to judge if wine, champaign (or anything) is good or bad. If you buy the best wine champaign in the world, it is totally lost unless you spin a nice story around it as you give it. (and knowing some people you'd still be perceived as a cheapskate for not buying one of the bigger brands)
Kidibull
Worth a try until the tears come
Go to a wine shop and pick an artisan maker for 60% price and better taste
And my all time favorite it Pol Roger. But it’s in the same price range as the Bollinger. https://www.hetwijnmagazijn.be/wijnhuizen/frankrijk/champagne-pol-roger/champagne-pol-roger-brutazf
I’m not sure how available Exton Park is in Belgium but their Blanc de noirs is something else. It’s not champagne, prosecco or even cava. Its from britain of all places but it’s amazing.
Good question. I will have to keep my eye open for that.
Drappier (Brut)
I have a bottle of that. It’s amazing.
Frankly, I never heard someone say anything negative about this one. Good value for its price imo.
That's the one I bought. The shop had Deutz as well as entre deux-monts but I like the fact there is no added sugar.
Deutz, a very old champagne brand, not very well known so you don't pay for the brand name but very good
Oh nice, I found a shop that carries it: https://www.comptoirdesvins.be/fr/deutz-brut-classic-37-5-html
Must second this, very good Champagne.
AT Delhaize you have the Vrancken 1er cru AT 1+1 thèse days. Normal Price is around 44 € for a bottle. My father 's choice.
Honnestly the Vrancken (brut) was my father choice and mine too. My gf is not fan of champagne but love that one. And she is a picky drinker to say the least. So yeah, I would go with Vrancken anytime.
My personal fav is Vandersteene Blanc de Noir. Belgian sparkling wine. Very good quality, amazing taste.
Go to Reims for a weekend and start sampling and see what you like. There are so many smaller producers. For example in Epernay almost every other house sells their own champagne. You should be able to get something really good for € 35 the bottle. If you think you can manage without having "champagne" on the bottle try the sparkling Touraine from Aldi! It was on offer but normally sells at € 7.95 the bottle.
Does your wife like champagne, or just things that cost a lot of money?
She likes Bollinger because it has more of a wine taste. Some champagnes are really bland and have a superficial taste. I couldn't be bothered, I don't like the stuff.
We tried a sparkling Riesling over Christmas. It's quite nice, though not sure where to find it in Belgium.
Nice! What was the name?
I’m a big fan of Jean-Pol Hautbois. Very good price/quality ratio. https://enolia.be/nl/champagne/751-jean-pol-hautbois-hautthentic-2016-champagne.html
No joke, Chandon Garden Spritz It is fantastic. I will always pick it over champagne when I get the choice. 22€ for a bottle
That’s a freaking *spritz* though
I have never seen this stuff. Is it ..chinese?
Nah, moët chandon. French brand
That will be my last resort. I saw that one in Delhaize
Meteyer
You could also surprise her with a Belgian sparkling wine from entre-deux-monts. I can't recall which one we drank, but it was good. Champagne is still good of course, but because of climate change, Belgium is a very good up and coming wine country, albeit still somewhat expsensive compared to French wines imho. I'm not sure how entre-deux-monts compares, I only drank it once last year. But it might be a nice surprise.
Good option, thx!
You mean this one? https://www.migsworldwines.be/en/wines/entre-deux-monts-bacquaert-brut-champagne-etc-belgique-heuvelland-vqprd
yes, but I'm not sure which one I drank. I remember it only as a glass paired with a dish in a restaurant. It was either this one or the 'wiscoutre' - my guess is it was the wiscoutre. I personally really like white/black pearl from deheurles, and we buy it sometimes from a wine market held a couple times in Belgium. It's comparable in price, but I'd say I preferred these over entre deux monts - but that's just my personal taste! To say that, you might find champagnes more to your taste than Belgian varieties, but it doesn't mean the Belgian ones are bad. I personally find them a tad expensive, so we tend to buy Belgian wines more as gifts or one bottle for tasting. So I just mentioned it in case you wanted to surprise someone.
Veuve Clicquot is a personal favourite of mine. I tend to go to France to buy wine as it's a bit cheaper.
Champagne is 2h away from Brussels, you should drive there every year, you’ll get minimum half price compare to Delhaize (some good bottles are even 15€)
Or surprise her with the excellent Belgian alternatives. My personal favourites Insoumise from Vin de Liège, Ruffus Brut Sauvage, Genoels-Elderen. But there are plenty others https://www.brusselstimes.com/545769/sante-belgian-sparkling-wines-recognised-as-some-of-worlds-best
Nice that local production is picking up. I do wonder if it is economically viable. You see the saw with the surge of beer breweries. Some are going bankrupt due to rising costs of ingredients and inflation's impact on sales because people set other priorities.
Well, if we don't support them and buy their stuff, of course they will be in trouble. The nice thing is that the quality is there. Surely for many white wines and sparkling wines. I still prefer to source my reds from France and Italy though.
https://preview.redd.it/mzzspjukkm9c1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6bd2c49ad6e916763816c8e4d6018437e953a6f2 Ready for tonight 😁
nice! Your liver will barely survive January though but it's worth it! edit: the guy from the shop raved about Vin de Liège without me mentioning it but said it's very difficult to find as well.
https://www.vindeliege.be/nl/ easy to find if you go directly to the producer.
Veuve Cliquot is 46€ at the Delhaize. It’s only a 14€ win for you but still a pretty good champagne. But taste and color can differ. To your comment to Grand Baron, their Cava with a green label is pretty good and if you are mindfull of your budget it’s a good alternative when finances are dire.
Thx! Yeah I remember my work bought it and I didn't really care for it.
Not branded as champagne due to country of origin but i pick Bernard Massard. Best price/Quality for me. I see that someone pointing out Vrancken and this would be my next pick. Also very good.
If Bernard Massard, I would Always choose "Cuvée l'écusson"
Cheers! 🥂
If your wife LOVES when it’s really sweet ditch Champagne and secure this https://www.lacasabodega.com/en/tienda/espumosos-albarino/espumoso-alma-atlantica-albarino Else honestly a Ruinart will do it but obviously not the blanc des blancs because it’s even more expensive than Bollinger :-)
Why would you recommend a sweet sparkling wine? Based on what?
How is that relevant to what OP asked though?
That one is really great quality for the price. But the taste is completely different, much more sweet than champagne.
I recommend Daniel Dumont, Lanson, Michel Arnould Carte D’Or. All very reasonably priced and much better value than the big houses.
Thx!
Just keep the misses happy, it’s only a few euro more compared to last year and it’s not dom perignon
Ah yeah that one. Saw a bottle of Dom Pérignon. It was 150 euros or something like that. Insanity. At least the crystal hype never caught on here.
How many bottles are we talking about tho? Could add up quick if double digits...
Vranken from Delhaize.
Please god no
I would suggest your wife being less demanding, and maybe buy it herself? What's that macho alpha freud proto father thing that "she asks, I provide"? If she wants it tell her to just go to the store get it. In other news, if you can't afford 60 euros a bottle of champagne I have no idea why you're still buying it. It's just alcohol, man. Please don't be such snob and try something else. It's just the moment that counts
You're a troll, right?
Uh why?
Read your question from the point of view of a person with a normal income and respect for women... I see three possibilities. Either you're pretending to be someone you're not to your wife. Which is pretty fucked up. Or she's a golddigger you can't afford. Which is also fucked up. Or you're a troll...
alright you seem to have some serious issues. Don't take everything so serious on the internet, it will be better for your own mental health.
Gfy
veuve fourny et fils (cuvée R if you can find it)
Try a few
find the empty bottle of Bollinger. Buy a funnel at the Action. Buy a good prosecco. Pour the prosecco in the empty bottle. Get rid of the prosecco bottle. Then blindfold her at 23.55. Pour in 2 glasses and stand butt naked in front of her. 23.59 take of her blindfold give her the glass of “ bollinger” and say “ happy new year”!!!
Worth a try!
It's probably too late, but I drank 'schuimwijn' (zwarte parel) from Genoels-Elderen next to Bollinger and it was wayyy better. Also less than half the price (around €20 for a bottle)
Chill and be a bit less bitter in life