Do you think Champagne is too acidic or expensive? Here are the cheaper and less acidic alternatives
Do you know the feeling of standing in the supermarket wine section looking for a bottle of bubbly? On the shelves are bottles with names like Champagne, Cremant, Cava, Prosecco, Asti... But what do you think is the difference, and what should you buy if you want the best bubbly for the price in a time when every inflation-hit krone counts in the budget?
We asked Copenhagen Cava's sommelier Jesper Rahbek about this and below you can read his answer.
"Jesper, why do we drink bubbles at celebrations and festive occasions?"
There is no drink more delicate, light and femininely refreshing than a well-balanced sparkling wine. It is a wine that is at once refreshing, lively, animating to move, signaling elegance, extravagance and inviting to flirt.
“Why has it traditionally been Champagne that people have been drinking?
A glance at the history books reveals a story of ongoing collective mythmaking and cultural branding involving monarchs, aristocrats, actors, politicians, marketers, etc., who over time and backed by enormous marketing budgets have transformed Champagne's image from a practically insignificant no-brand in the 15th century into a universal symbol of modernity and icon of the global culture of pleasure. At the same time, Champagne is expensive and therefore a luxury product that most people can only afford to drink on special occasions when they are happy to spend a little extra.
"What do you do if you think Champagne is too expensive?"
If you love the acidic and mineral taste of Champagne, you can, for example, replace Champagne with cremant. Cremant is made in the same way and from the same grape varieties as Champagne but outside the Champagne region. In return, it will cost 50 percent less than a bottle of Champagne.
The same applies if you choose Cava. Cava comes from Spain and is made in the same way as Champagne and Cremánt. Cava is typically produced from local Spanish grapes but also uses classic Champagne grapes such as Chardonnay and Pinot noir. A good Cava can be had from just around 100kr. and is probably where we see the best correlation between price and quality. See Copenhagen Cava's selection of cava
"What do you do if you think Champagne is a bit too sour?"
It's important to remember that sparkling wine comes in just as many flavors as still wine, so even if you don't like the French variety, there may be other types of bubbles that you're into.
An obvious alternative if you find Champagne too acidic or mineral is Spanish Cava. As described, Cava is made from other grapes that grow in a Mediterranean climate that is significantly warmer, sunnier and with a longer growing season than found in northern France. The grapes and climate mean that Cava is typically more fruity and round in taste than Champagne and not as acidic and mineral as its French cousin.
Another alternative is Italian Prosecco, which is also a fruitier and even more sparkling wine. However, the quality is not as high as Champagne and Cava and the bubbles in Prosecco are typically larger, more explosive and dissolve faster.
"How much should you pay for a good bottle of bubbles?"
If you want something other than the cheap standard products from the supermarket, you have to go up to the price range of 100+ kroner for a Cava, Cremant or Prosecco, a reasonable Champagne costs from around 300kr. However, this does not mean that you cannot find a nice bottle of bubbles for less, but if you move up in this price range, a lot starts to happen. This is simply where you get the most for your money as a smaller proportion goes to transport, taxes, administration, etc. and more goes to producing high-quality wines.
