Top 10 Affordable Holiday Champagnes

According to the Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia, written by Tom Stevenson and published since 1988 by Dorling Kindersley, the oldest recorded sparkling wine is Blanquette de Limoux, invented by Benedictine Monks in 1531. Top 10 Affordable Champagnes for the Holidays The monks bottled the wine before the initial fermentation had ended, and then over a century later, an English scientist and physician furnished the addition of sugar to a finished wine to create a second fermentation. Champagne is a sparkling wine but is unique in that it's produced from grapes grown only in the Champagne region of France. The primary grapes used in the production of Champagne are Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Champagne varies in price, with some of the finest, such as a bottle of Champagne Krug, 1998 Clos d' Ambonnay, costing as much as $2,200. Sharing a good bottle of Champagne with friends and family is not only a great way to celebrate the holidays, but according to scientists, drinking one to three glasses of champagne a week may counteract the memory loss associated with ageing, and could help delay the onset of degenerative brain disorders. Click 'NEXT' to our Top 10 List of Affordable Holiday Champagnes Here's a list of 10 reasonably priced Champagnes for $70 and under, courtesy of Food & Wine's Lettie Teague. Pol Roger Brut Reserve (source) 1) Pol Roger Brut Reserve ($35) Year in and year out, this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine from a leading small Champagne house is a perennial value and a particular favorite of mine. Ayala Brut Majeur (source) 2) Ayala Brut Majeur ($40) Clean and bright, with good aciditya sprightly aperitif from a long-established Champagne house that has made a big quality rebound in recent years. Bollinger Special Cuvee (source) 3) Bollinger Special Cuvee ($45) Bollinger's nonvintagebroad-flavored and toastyis a true classic. Marc Hebrart Cuvee de Reserve Brut (source) 4) Marc Hebrart Cuvee de Reserve Brut ($50) This grower, based in the Vallee de la Marne, may not be famous, but his elegant Pinot Noir"dominant wine deserves to be better known. Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve (source) 5) Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve ($55) The house style of the highly regarded Charles Heidsieck is readily apparently in this wine: complex yet approachable, full-bodied but lively. Gosset Grande Reserve Brut (source) 6) Gosset Grande Reserve Brut ($55) There's excellent weight and richness in this nonvintage from one of the oldest houses in Champagne; it's a great wine to pair with food. Guy Larmandier Vertus Brut Premier Cru (source) 7) Guy Larmandier Vertus Brut Premier Cru ($55) A delicate wine from one of the top growers in the CÃ´tes des Blancs region of Champagne. Philipponnat Brut Royale Reserve (source) 8) Philipponnat Brut Royale Reserve ($55) This nonvintage from a highly regarded small Champagne house is a "wow"of a wine and nearly as good as Philipponnat's famed tÃªte de cuvee, Clos des Goisses. Jean Milan Carte Blanche Brut (source) 9) Jean Milan Carte Blanche Brut ($60) Generous and creamy a masterpiece of a wine. Alfred Gratien Brut Classique (source) 10) Alfred Gratien Brut Classique ($70) A lovely, well-balanced, rather fruity blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier that's a pure pleasure to drink.