Best Champagne Under $50?

[Mr. B]

I just volunteered to supply the champagne for a New Years party of about 30 guests. I don't want to spend a crazy amount of money and I'd rather show up with something slightly more thoughtful that Korbel. I would appreciate any recommendations... I'm not firm on the price, anything good in the $10-50 range will do.

 

[An Officer]

Why not Prosecco? I used to find it far tastier than most champagnes and cavas, and usually far easier on the pocket than the French counterpart. It does not have the same elite status as champagne, but there is nothing wrong with the taste, unless they are all sparkling wine snobs. Good luck!

 

[WillsBabe]

My favourite Champagne of the moment is Mumm Cordon Rouge, which you can pick up at or under $50 a bottle, I suspect. It's brute, so I would balance that with something sweeter for people whose palettes prefer that. I don't have anything to recommend there, though. A sommelier I am not! Good luck, though.

 

[Shaytan]

I usually buy Canard-Duchêne (brute of course) if I share it with friends, I was never disappointed. But I was very happy with a low price Mercier for Christmas.
Be careful with sparkling wines, it's easy to guess when it's not Champagne

 

[Holdfast]

Good thread topic.

You're spoilt for choice at that price point, at least you would be with UK prices, though I'm not sure how expensive Champagne is in the USA. But I'm confident most of the following would be within range, especially considering the case discount you'll get, and the post-Christmas price cuts.

Any of the usual suspect NV bruts would be fine for a party. From the more widely available major houses I'm fonder of Taittinger and Bollinger than some of the others. Piper-Heidsieck is good too.

It really does boils down to the style you like. I prefer a slightly bigger, yeastier/biscuity champagne than the more austere style. That reflects my picks, though Piper is more towards the middle of the spectrum than the other two. Deutz is pretty cool too.

If you want a vintage rather than a NV, Shaytan's mention of Canard-Duchene would fit your price range, but personally I tend to look for Hiedsieck Monopole Gold Top. Both are nice in their own ways. I find a nice vintage from a house you like is often the better value choice than a NV from the big houses, but for a party, and at short notice, a recognisable NV may be easier and simpler.

If you want something on the more austere side of the spectrum, Jacquesson would do the trick. It's way too low in dosage for my tastes and always manages to give me a slight headache though.

 

[Kirby]

Why not Prosecco? I used to find it far tastier than most champagnes and cavas, and usually far easier on the pocket than the French counterpart. It does not have the same elite status as champagne, but there is nothing wrong with the taste, unless they are all sparkling wine snobs. Good luck!

I second this. You can find some wonderful Prosecco out there for $20 or so per bottle.

 

[marillion]

Why not Prosecco? I used to find it far tastier than most champagnes and cavas, and usually far easier on the pocket than the French counterpart. It does not have the same elite status as champagne, but there is nothing wrong with the taste, unless they are all sparkling wine snobs. Good luck!

I second this. You can find some wonderful Prosecco out there for $20 or so per bottle.

Thirded!!! Love Prosecco.

BUT... If you are looking for something more traditional, and certainly a very close second to actual (legally named) "Champagne," you cannot and will not go wrong with Gruet Brut from Gruet Winery in Albuquerque. Their products are distributed to 49 states, so you can probably find them somewhere nearby.

Find locations here.

Named as United States Wine Producer of the Year by the international Wine and Spirits Competition, I can attest that this stuff is awesome and will be served at my house on New Year's Eve. At roughly $15 to $20 a bottle for the Brut, you are in for a treat...

 

[Hugo Rune]

Charles Heidsieck Brut Mis En Cave

The single best Grand Marque sub £30 champagne on the market IMO.

Rich, biscuity, very bright acidity and surprisingly complex for the price.

Find it, buy lots, drink some, store the rest... drink after 4 years of maturity.

Brilliant.


Hugo - Champagne Snob

 

[RoJoHen]

Andre: $4.99 per bottle

I like the strawberry Andre, as it tastes like Jolly Ranchers.

 

[Amaris]

Under $50?

I'm going to recommend Champipple. It's Ginger Ale and Ripple. If you can't find Ripple (as it may be unavailable now), you can always use MD 20/20 as a reasonable substitute. I predict a bold, savory burst of flavor in every guzzle.

 

[RoJoHen]

Under $50?

I'm going to recommend Champipple. It's Ginger Ale and Ripple. If you can't find Ripple (as it may be unavailable now), you can always use MD 20/20 as a reasonable substitute. I predict a bold, savory burst of flavor in every guzzle.

You should be in their commercials.

 

[Franklin]

I'd agree with Holdfast about Taittinger. (I'd agree with Holdfast about almost everything in that post, really.) It runs between $35 and $40 a bottle where I am in Virginia.

The real question is whether or not these people will care about what kind of champagne you bring. And, I'm not saying that to be a smart ass. For many folk, a glass of champagne on New Year's is it for the year. A really really good $50 bottle of any kind may be lost on them in that case. Or worse, some people don't even like the taste of "really good" champagne (that sometimes has mineral and mushroom overtones).
Also, if there is going to be a considerable amount of drinking beforehand, a really really good champagne will be wasted people to wasted to appreciate it.

Thirty people will require about five bottles for one glass each. If you don't want to seem stingy, then you'll need maybe ten bottles. That's a consideration, too. There's a big difference between spending $500 and $200 just to toast the New Year.

Off the top of my head, Mumm's (from Napa Valley, CA) is a good sparkling wine that goes for between $15 and $20 a bottle.

Prosecco is nice, too. Can't think of a brand now, but there are a lot of good ones that run less than $20 a bottle. Bear in mind they tend to be a little less dry and more fruity than most champagnes. More like Asti-Spumante.

 

[Mr. B]

The real question is whether or not these people will care about what kind of champagne you bring. And, I'm not saying that to be a smart ass. For many folk, a glass of champagne on New Year's is it for the year. A really really good $50 bottle of any kind may be lost on them in that case. Or worse, some people don't even like the taste of "really good" champagne (that sometimes has mineral and mushroom overtones).

Honestly I don't think the crowd is really going to appreciate it, but the host probably will so I don't want to look lazy.

I was thinking I might get away with four bottles though... maybe I should be looking more in the $35 or less range.

 

[Amaris]

Under $50?

I'm going to recommend Champipple. It's Ginger Ale and Ripple. If you can't find Ripple (as it may be unavailable now), you can always use MD 20/20 as a reasonable substitute. I predict a bold, savory burst of flavor in every guzzle.

You should be in their commercials.

That would be intoxicating, like MD 20/20's Red Wine™, voted "Best in Class" by Bum's Choice® 20 years in a row! *teeth sparkle*

 

[kes7]

Why not Prosecco? I used to find it far tastier than most champagnes and cavas, and usually far easier on the pocket than the French counterpart. It does not have the same elite status as champagne, but there is nothing wrong with the taste, unless they are all sparkling wine snobs. Good luck!

This. Just stocked up myself.

 

[Franklin]

The real question is whether or not these people will care about what kind of champagne you bring. And, I'm not saying that to be a smart ass. For many folk, a glass of champagne on New Year's is it for the year. A really really good $50 bottle of any kind may be lost on them in that case. Or worse, some people don't even like the taste of "really good" champagne (that sometimes has mineral and mushroom overtones).

Honestly I don't think the crowd is really going to appreciate it, but the host probably will so I don't want to look lazy.

I was thinking I might get away with four bottles though... maybe I should be looking more in the $35 or less range.

Sneak the host a good bottle as a party gift. You really don't have to go over $20 for the crowd, though.

Four bottles won't be enough. A bottle of champagne is about 25 ounces. So, that's just 3.33 ounces of champagne a person (a little over half a glass). You'll need six bottles just to get everyone one 5-ounce glass each. Then, a couple of bottles in reserve for those who will want a second glass.
Perhaps that's another reason to just get one good bottle for the host and an "everyday" sparkling wine for the rest of the masses.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Why not Prosecco? I used to find it far tastier than most champagnes and cavas, and usually far easier on the pocket than the French counterpart. It does not have the same elite status as champagne, but there is nothing wrong with the taste, unless they are all sparkling wine snobs. Good luck!

Being Italian, I obviously support this advice. As for prices, unfortunately I have no idea about that in the US. Around here you can buy a good Prosecco for €10, and a very good one for about €30.

 

[Holdfast]

Charles Heidsieck Brut Mis En Cave

The single best Grand Marque sub £30 champagne on the market IMO.

Definitely noted for future reference... and experimentation.

I'd agree with Holdfast about Taittinger.

We should raise a glass to that.

 

[WillsBabe]

Why not Prosecco? I used to find it far tastier than most champagnes and cavas, and usually far easier on the pocket than the French counterpart. It does not have the same elite status as champagne, but there is nothing wrong with the taste, unless they are all sparkling wine snobs. Good luck!

Being Italian, I obviously support this advice. As for prices, unfortunately I have no idea about that in the US. Around here you can buy a good Prosecco for €10, and a very good one for about €30.

Well, on the stregnth of all the recommendations here, I've just bought a bottle for New Years Eve. Looking forward to it.

 

[marillion]

You should still get a bottle of Gruet... At the very least, "Champagne" from New Mexico would a unique conversation topic.