On wednesday night I shamelessly guzzled glasses of ice cold Krug Grande Cuvee on a boat with a small group of very close friends, celebrating a buddy's 40th birthday. We were wearing shorts and vests (proper champagne drinking atire IMO) and eating tuna tataki and fresh caught kingfish. The Krug was great, but I've enjoyed far lesser brands just as much. What made that day special was the setting and the people.
My all time favorite champagne based on sheer taste is Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill, but the brands my wife and I enjoy on a more regular basis retail for far far less than either of those.
I am not a very heavy drinker, but we have cause and a duty to celebrate frequently (nice day, feeling good, shampooed the dogs, beautiful sunset, Cobra in the garage, etc, etc). It's all about happiness and good times for us. Snobbery, status seeking and impressing others are miserable, joyless indulgences that we have no time or palate for; and in totality, while the quality of the finer brands is undeniable, we have just as many fond memories - more actually - of the times we celebrated something silly with more - ahem - pedestrian libations (chilling to perfection is the key
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