Next year will be the toast of the town Thursday evening and, when the clock strikes midnight, corks will be popping and the bubbly flowing. You’ll find bottles ranging from just a couple of dollars, or you can spend hundreds on one single bottle, such as Armand de Brignac’s Ace of Spades.
Here are recommendations from several stores in town for sparkling wines and champagnes that will fit every budget.
Anne BralyVine and Barrel, 5506 Hixson Pike
* Affordable ($8-$15): 7th Prosecco Cielo (Italian sparkling wine), $13.
* Moderate ($20-$50): Veuve Cliquot Brut champagne, $50.
* Pricey ($50-$100): Moet Imperial Nectar Rose, $65.
* Most expensive in the store: Dom Perignon champagne, $173. One bottle of Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades, priced at $300, was allotted to the store for the holiday season and sold before Thanksgiving.
Riverside Wine and Spirits, 600 Manufacturer’s Road
* Affordable: Casteller Rose Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) $13.99.
* Moderate: Gaston Chiquet Premier Cru champagne $47.99.
* Pricey: Vilmart Cie Grand Cellier d’Or 2010 champagne, $89.99.
* Most expensive in the store: Louis Roederer Cristal 2006 champagne, $225.
JD’s Liquors, 3209 South Broad St.
* Affordable: Cook’s (sparkling wine), $8.24
* Moderate: XXIV Karat Grand Cuvee (sparkling wine), $37.99
* Pricey: Veuve Cliquot Brut champagne, $55.87.
* Most expensive in the store: Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades, $329.
Jax Liquors, 216 Market St.
* Affordable: Frexinet (sparkling wine), $10.99.
* Moderate: Chandon Brut champagne, $21.99.
* Pricey: Veuve Cliquot Brut champagne, $49.99.
* Most expensive in the store: Dom Perignon champagne, $200.
Baking with champagne
Champagne goes beyond sipping, and this recipe from QVC’s resident foodie and cookbook author David Venable proves how versatile it can be. These Mimosa Cupcakes will add a sweet finish to 2015 and tasty beginning to the new year.
Mimosa Cupcakes
1 cup cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons champagne
2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Frosting:
2 cups vanilla frosting (homemade or store-bought)
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon orange extract
1 tablespoon champagne or ginger ale
Edible glitter or coarse, white sparkling sugar for decorating
To prepare the cupcakes, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.
Fit a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip the eggs and sugar on medium speed until they’re light, creamy and pale yellow. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the vanilla, oil, orange extract, champagne and orange zest, mixing until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Pour the cupcake batter into the lined muffin pans, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool completely.
To prepare the frosting, place the vanilla icing in a mixing bowl and fold in the orange zest, orange extract and champagne. Spoon the frosting into a decorating bag with a large star tip. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes and sprinkle with glitter
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.