Planning a special New Year’s Eve celebration and just aren’t sure about that bottle of bubbly?  Take a cue from resident champagne expert Becky Sue Epstein and she can answer the question - do you know the difference between a sparkling wine and champagne? It pays to learn the difference between a great bottle of champagne, and one that should have stayed on the store’s shelf. If you’re heading out to make your selection, take a moment with us in Kelly’s Kitchen to understand the difference between a sparkling wine, which quite honestly I really like, and champagne. It’s up to you and your taste, but before you spend too much on something you don’t want, learn how to spot what’s right for you. I’ve seen the most reasonably prices bottles, up to one I spotted in Total Wines a few weeks ago that ran almost $700!

    And how often have we seen someone open a bottle of champagne incorrectly, wasting a lot of that precious liquid? It’s a simple process as you can see from our fun guy in the video but taking the time to carefully open that bottle makes a great deal of difference according to Becky, and a careful pour will no doubt impress your guests! Oh, and make sure you know what type of glass should you use and of course how much should we spend especially if it's a gift.

    Once you’ve chosen just the right champagne for the party, what are you going to serve with it? Becky Sue’s advice is to go with something salty and smoky to complement the champagne (hello caviar) and to avoid food like chocolate or anything that’s creamy which would coat the inside of your mouth, effectively ruining the taste of the champagne. But that’s not to say avoid the chocolate altogether, just save it for later.

  Don’t forget the champagne cocktails, by the way! Becky Sue has some wickedly good ideas for cocktails, along with just how should we store the champagne. But in Kelly’s Kitchen there’s rarely any left over to store!  So pour a glass of bubbly and enjoy the full scoop from Becky. Happy New Year, and as always, please celebrate responsibly and use a designated driver.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

"Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!" ~ DOM PERIGNON, upon his first taste of champagne