Any champagne drinks out there? Need some advice.

[pigleychez]

Im going on a hen weekend in a few weeks. Hiring a nice quite cottage in the country.

Im in the process of getting ready a luxury hamper to take with us full of goodies and want to take a bottle of two of champagne.
We have a few bottles already in the cupboard that we have been given over the past few years, from our marriage and first baby.

Being thrifty cheapskate I was wondering if I could just make use of them i already have instead of buying new. A few of the girls are quite into wines etc so I dont want to turn up with something thats pants IYSWIM. Personally im not keen on champagne.

Anyway, any of these any good?

• Charles De Villers BRUT
• Heidsieck & Co Monoploe Blue label BRUT
• Veuve Emille Demi-sec
• Freixent Cava BRUT

Any help greatfully accepted

Apologise for the spelling and missing letters
DD is "helping"

Have a look here, the Charles de Villers gets quite a pasting but he rated the Heidsieck.

heidsieck is a grande marque and quite a light refreshing style of champagne
charles de villers i don't know but it's prob made by a cooperative
veuve emille would be worth considering to have with a nice pudding/cake as it's a dessert champagne
freixnet is the market leader in cava and overpriced imho

Depends how long you've had them too - my dad had kept one of the bottles from our wedding, we had it for our 10yr anniversary and it had gone off. Not sure how long is too long though.

And I agree with aseriouslyblondemoment that Freixent is not so good.

I know you didn't want to spend but DH reckons that Tesco Premier Cru is either Verve Clique or Moet (I can't remember - he is the wine buff in our house I just drink lots!) that couldn't be bottled as they had reached their bottling limit or producing too much one year would undermine the value of the bottles and force down the price or some such other guff.

It isn't too expensive either.

Thanks the advice ladies. Thought there maybe some experts on here

So its sounds as if the Heidsieck and the Veuve emille are the ones to pick. Im also making a "Happy Hen Weekend" cake for us all to scoff so the desert champers would be good for then.
Its not as if i'll even get to enjoy the champagne with them as im 32 weeks pregnant with Number 2!

Freixnet is cava but fine for mixing.

Take some peach puree and make Bellinis.

Kir for Kir Royale

Sugar cubes, Angostura Bitters and brandy for champagne cocktail.

Orange juice for Mimosa

Chambord for a raspberry thingamajig.

Pimms for Pimms Royale

Peach schnapps and oj for Fuzzy Navel.

Madame
Your DH could be right. DH has a colleague whose family live in the Champagne region, they have a vineyard there. He says that the big champagne houses do not actually have their own vineyards, they buy from local wineries. You can get the same quality or better by going direct to the wineyard and buying wine.

MmeLindt - that is what he does most of the time - we have boxes turning up from all over europe whare he tracks stuff down and gets it really reasonably.

We are off through France and Switzerland to Tuscany this summer and I expect our car will be laden down with boxes and boxes of wine.

I don't mind!!!

Sounds good, MmeC. You should hire a trailer.