Outsource the Holidays

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Bring the Bubbly

A case of ideas for the easiest, funnest Champagne tastings ever

"To understand what a Champagne really tastes like, you have to compare and contrast it with others," says W. Craig Cooper, the beverage director at Pops for Champagne (601 N. State St.; 312-266-7677) in River North. This is exactly what we wanted to hear, since what could be more festive than tasting several different sparkling Champagnes in the privacy of your home? For about $500 (not including the libations and food), Cooper will captain a three-hour fete for 20 to which he'll bring the stemware, plates, napkins, and a serving table. Formats can vary. For traditionalists, Cooper might do a vertical tasting, which samples several different vintages of the same wine. Or, he might do a "grower tasting" that focuses on specific wines from certain villages in France's Champagne region. For an adventurous crowd, Cooper says he would pair a flight of Champagnes aged 15 to 20 years, which taste a bit like dry sherry, with Spanish cured meats, strong, dry cheeses, and olives. Finally, how about some prestige cuvée blanc de blancs (Champagne made exclusively from the white chardonnay grape, about $2,500 for 15 bottles) with oysters from both coasts? Again, Cooper promises the full treatment: "I can bring along a person to shuck the oysters, too."

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