Lidl sells really good champagne for a bargain
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: Lidl sells really good champagne for a bargain.
Nothing is more festive than a bottle of champagne. Added bonus: you hardly get a hangover from it. Well, except financially, because that divine drink is never cheap. At least... almost never, because these three bubbles from Lidl really cost a pittance.
Champagne brut reserve Comte de Brismand, Lidl €15,99
This champagne has been the top seller in Lidl's assortment for years. During blind champagne tastings with my wine club, it always comes out as one of the winners, and that's impressive among more than a hundred bottles, some of which are ten times more expensive. And not only does it stand out on our tasting table, Comte de Brismand frequently wins (inter)national awards. A euro more expensive than last year, but still a fan-tas-tic deal. My tip: stock up now and just drink it throughout the year for that extra festive feeling.
Champagne Bissinger, €21,99
‘Champagne is the only drink that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it,’ said Madame de Pompadour, the famous mistress of King Louis XV about her love for a glass fizz. And with a price buster (literally and figuratively) like Bissinger, you can comfortably enjoy a few glasses during Christmas and NYE without burning your credit card. And indulge in luxury: skip that greasy oliebol, it's a shame with a glass of champagne, but enjoy an oyster in style alongside it.
Made as champagne
Annually, about 349 million bottles of champagne are produced, and there is quite strict oversight on that. Champagne can only be called that if the bubble comes from the region of the same name. The method of making champagne (Méthode Traditionelle or Méthode Champenoise) is indeed applied worldwide. It is then not called champagne but crémant (in France, outside Champagne), cava (Spain), sparkling wine (South Africa), the better Italian proseccos, and even in Germany they make one: sekt (with the addition of Flaschengärung). That's why I also have a bang of a champagne lookalike for almost nothing tip.
Crémant D’Alsace, Lidl €6,99
True story: a few years ago, at the International Wine & Spirits Competition , Lidl's Crémant de Bourgogne was awarded a Silver Outstanding award. This means that the sparkling wine received a score between 86 and 89.9. The same score went to the vintage champagne Veuve Clicquot 2008. A champagne that costs over 50 euros, do the math. At the time of writing, the Crémant de Bourgogne is out of stock, but the Crémant d’Alsace is available, and for the same price.
Prosecco Organic Dop Extra dry, Lidl €5,99
Party on a budget: wine guide De Grote Hamersma rated this Italian bubble with an 8+. A delicious fruity prosecco and much drier than most. ‘That extra dry on the label is no lie. And it is really dry: tight, firm, but not sour,’ according to the verdict. Buy some extra bottles right away, because once you pop, you can’t stop! Also fun: make these beautiful and tasty champagne cocktails or champagne macarons with it.
