I recently was asked to review some Non-Vintage Champagne for a holiday issue of a magazine. The editors informed me there would be about 25 different producers being delivered to my door over a period of about 3 weeks. My doormen all know what I do for a living and delight when I get a truckload of wine delivered, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day, snickering what a "tough job" I have.

Each day I came home, there were more and more deliveries, and the final count at this point is 43 bottles, many in pairs to eliminate the possibility of bottle being bad. They are everywhere, in the refrigerator, on the kitchen counters, in various boxes around the apartment and even under the bed!! My husband revolts every time we decide what we should drink for dinner (at this point I have only tasted 20!) as I suggest another bottle of, you guessed it, Champagne!
A while back I was asked to judge rose Champagne for the same publication. Thinking that I had hit the jackpot, I eventually was quite disappointed in the overall quality of Champagne’s roses. Trudging through a mere 20 roses became a real chore.

However, after just 20 bottles of the NV, some of them being rose, I am quite impressed with the quality in general. The percentage of "small grower" champagne is higher than usual and there are many great unknown producers out there offering some very good styles. I have become quite resourceful by thinking of all sorts of interesting ways to taste and enjoy sometimes 5 or 6 bottles at a time!

Over one long weekend I had work colleagues over for champagne before we enjoyed a late night snack in a nearby café (2 bottles). The following night I met friends at Tia Pol, a terrific little tapas bar on 10th avenue and 22nd street. After much Spanish wine we all returned to my apartment for après dinner champagne (2 bottles and some hard-to-read notes!!). Finally, I had a dinner party at my house, serving fresh and delicious produce I bought at the Union Square farmers market and paired every course with, what else,
Champagne, not to mention 3 bottles for aperitif (7 bottles).
I'll be off on a 2 week vacation on Cape Cod soon, where I will sample the rest of them.

Nothing like some Wellfleet oysters or better yet a fresh from the bay lobster with some rose champagne to make a summer meal more fabulous.