Producer: Perrier Jouët
Wine: Grand Brut Champagne
Vintage: NV
Country: France
Appellation: Champagne AC
Wine Type: Sparkling
Primary Varietal: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Grade: B+
Designation: Must Drink
Price: $29-$39

The Grand Brut Champagne NV is Perrier Jouët’s entry-level offering. For somewhere around $30, give or take a few bucks depending on location (ah yes, the joys of champagne discounting – a small retailer’s nightmare!), you’re not going to get a specific vintage or the flower-etched collector’s edition, but you will be drinking a very decent bottle of bubbly.

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The thing that I love most about Champagne (and most sparkling wine for that matter) is its immense accessibility with food, especially those dishes that can be the most troublesome. Spicy Indian curry, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, oysters, buttery popcorn – the bright acidity and cooling effect of the bubbles makes it work every time. Perrier Jouët’s house style tends to be light, fresh and elegant – apple blossoms, peach nectar, baked bread and a hint of ginger. The bubbles are small and fine, supporting a creamy, rounded texture that makes every sip that much more delicious.