interesting opinion to have. why do you think Cava beats every champagne out there?

Vintage champagnes are among the world's ripoffs, as champagne has traditionally been an "early" drink, to be consumed soon after release. The problem with serving champagne is that many of your guests will expect a "name" and some of the great products of small operations will be viewed by your guests as "Eau le Bathtub". As noted below, there are several "big names", drinkable, in your range - and rember that no more than 1 of 100 of your "guests" could pick or define what's good. Some folks like extremely dry bubbly, others are repulsed by astringency.

Cavas can be fine (or occasionally bad) but are not champagne. They should be recognized for what they are, not as a substitute for "champers". The same is true of Spumante, except that these days, unlike yesteryear when cavas could he truly awful, there's more bad spumante on shelves. If you're making champagne cocktails, Mimorsas, Bellinis, French 75s, etc., why buy good champagne. Chateau Garage will work fine...

to add to the above, if you're making champagne cocktails, just use Prosecco or Rotari instead, no one will know the difference :)

Some non-vintage favorites:

Pol Roger
Billecart-Salmon
Bollinger
Charles Heidsieck

Cheers,
T.

i must respectfully disagree with posts 18 and 19

if you make a mimosa with bottled OJ and cheap sparkling wine it will taste -cheap!

make it with fresh squeezed OJ and a (non-vintage) Champagne (note the capital C) - it will taste- yummo!!

similarly, many people LIKE a well-aged Champagne- perhap more in the UK than in the USA but I always amaze first-timers with a glass of 15 year old Drappier

I don't love the young Drappiers but they age nicely

rich, creamy, "toasty" - smooooth

try it!

Cava? In hot weather I serve a very well chilled Freixenet or Codorniu Rose (there is an accent over the e you just can't see it)

The Rose's seem to be loved by everyone- and I have a color enhancement- I squeeze a fresh bing cherry into the glass- the little bit of cherry juice "brightens" it

Is it as good as a NV like Feiullate? No but its $7 not $35

great for a crowd...

If you're going down to 7$ just serve vino verdhe :)

Billecart-Salmon

Charles Heidsieck

For cheap, I buy Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir Sparkling - makes great mimosas

I keep trying a variety of Preseccos and Cavas to find the right one. But it's fun trying :)

I love going to liquor store and them asking "are you having a party" to which I answer "no, I just like to drink" ;)

BEST BUY @ 20USD

The third glass will taste like Cristal.

Have you ever had Piper Heidsieck? http://piperheidsieck.com/us/different/index.php

I've had quite a few bottles of "Baby Piper" http://piperheidsieck.com/us/differe...ts.php?id=2892 and loved them!

What size glass? ;)

This will work. Sante.

UCBeau:

in my area vinho verdes (when you can get a nice fresh one) are $7 retail

the 2 spanish roses (does anyone know how to enter that accent??) are $15/ bottle retail but discounts to $7 when i buy 3 cases at a time

so i think it is a "richer" drink than the portugese stuff- and MUCH bubblier

How about Paul Goerg? I've always kind of liked that line
when my wallet has been thin.

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva "fermented in the bottle" and available in my part of the world as low as $6 a bottle. We served a lot of this at a daughter's wedding in Canada (where it was a bit pricier but still attainable) and even my wine-snob restaurateur brother-in-law grudgingly pronounced it as acceptable.

As others have noted, it is not champagne, but I still like it. :)