Taittinger is a great champagne, and I find I get less headaches from drinking it. Veuve Clicquot is another favorite of mine. Freixenet is a lower-end Spanish cava that I used to like but now find barely drinkable (blame my taste for the pricier sauce!)-- but it's fine for mimosa. Dom Pérignon can vary vintage to vintage, but if you spend above $50 a bottle it's usually quite good. Cristal? I have to laugh. For New Year's Eve last year we went through a couple of cases of bubbly (and there were only 10 of us); my neighbor who's an executive chef at Fleming's in Newport Beach brought a bottle of Cristal, and we all decided it was the worst stuff we had drunk in recent memory. I brought two bottles of $30 California sparkling bruts, and we liked them much more.

I went to a champagne tasting at a local wine store not too long ago and bought some outstanding bruts, but I can't remember the wineries. It was all French bubbly, but not all that good. However, the stuff I bought all came in under $30 a bottle-- except for a Veuve Clicquot I had to have.

If you want a slightly different, higher-kick mimosa, here's a special from the Original Fish Co. in Los Alamitos, CA: Fill a champagne flute 3/4 full with champagne, then add a shot of Chambord (raspberry liqueur) and float a fresh raspberry as garnish. These are DEADLY (they go down super-easy), so don't operate heavy machinery afterward.

I'm actually opposite to most here: For your first experience, I'd go with the good, DRY stuff. Sweet sparkling wine just leaves a nasty sugar aftertaste in your mouth, while the dry bubbly perfectly sets off the tart-sweet of a good ripe strawberry-- and nicely cuts through the round buttery fat of a suitable cheese like brie.

Hi
You have other responses on the other threads you started on this subject

see

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34640169

rjw,

The drink you described made with Champagne & Chambord is a Kir Royale. LOVE them.

Leona: Thanks (your name is so much more elegant than the "raspberry mimosa" moniker at the Original!) and ditto!! Cheers!

How about a Belini? Peach nectar with champagne. That would be an easier 1st drink than straight expensive champagne IMO.

you have four identical threads running on two forums with MANY responses. And haven't come back to any of them as far as I can see . . . .

I'd guess you have received enough champagne advice to last three lifetimes . . . . .

4 threads in a few hours
first time poster
no return visits or responses
If an email address was not listed I would wonder if this is travdis or another troll stirring things up and watching the activity on the threads!

rb_travelerxATyahoo, begging your pardon! I was actually searching for champagne and was delivered to a thread here. I didn't realize! :0) thanks for the advice for where to ask some wine experts! :0)

Leona, lol! No, i didn't serve any at our wedding. My father is a minister and doesn't really go for that kind of thing. Plus, I was only 20!

While not a travel related post and new poster to Fodors, Taylor's got 46 replies between her 4 threads!! That's better than I can ever do when I ask a question.

oh, dear. it seems I have committed a faux pas! I didn't mean to be such an annoyance, I just thought that would be the best way to get as many responses as possible. sorry! :0)

Forgive me if I'm wrong....but I hear champagne goes good with troll-ios!!! Still laughing!

gyppielou, I don't know if you're wrong. I don't even know what that means.

that last response clinched it for me!

It's from the large dog in the house thread.

Oh my....I think I had my first drink when I was 5 or so....my parents had a party and I drank from all the glasses left on the tables :-0

I had a hangover at 5!

I learned never to mix drinks at the same time I learned how to color within the lines - LOL

Hi Annabel, regarding the drinking,
was that party by any chance also your wedding anniversary? Age notwithstanding.

I understand the Large dog that eats off your plate thread is gone..anyone want to tell me how it progressed before it got taken to the Pound?

Trolli-Os are good with Champagne but I prefer a bit of ChocoTroll with mine, Dark Choco.

mrchocolate.com

gyppie, that site made me go find some stale chocolate chips LOL