I got some beautiful, tinkly new Riedel Champagne flutes on the weekend.They look gorgeous and sparkly in the sun.They tinkle like champions and are the perfect accessory to an air kiss. Also, they are wonderful for drinking quality sparkling and champagne wine from. I have not typically been a big drinker of Champagne or sparkling wine, but there’s a lot of stuff out there that we can quaff out of gorgeous tinkly glasses. And it has to be said that for many of us some of our happiest moments have involved drinking bubbly at some sort of special occasion in our best outfits. I was lucky enough to spend two wedding weekends in a row in 2009 tearing up hallowed turf at Oxford colleges with a glass of bubbles firmly clasped in my paw as I admired the hats and outfits around me. Bliss! I must say, though, that no matter how great a time I had doing this, I can’t remember what we drank, because it’s often about the celebration and not the wine itself. I plan to make these memorable occasions ones where I remember the wine as much as the occasion.
 I have been lucky to make a new friend this year who is a diva of everything bubbly, and she really encouraged me to think more seriously about the bubbles I drink (and once I’d done that to invest in some new glasses). We caught up on Good Friday to drink some vintage Champagne, the Duval Le Roy 1996. As a “just because” moment, this meant the focus was on the wine. This, according to my friend, was a fantastic vintage in Champagne, and in my limited knowledge of vintage champers, this was fantastic. Rich, full, loads of brioche, citrus peel, toast, honey and spice mean that one glass is pretty much all you need, though you’d have to be mad not to want another.
Try the Huia Blanc de Blancs, a full style of bubbles with loads of nougat, brioche and delicious dry, but sweetly fun characters. $35.00
Hunter’s Miru Miru is one of the bubbles I drank on an idyllic Saturday on the lawn at Brasenose College in Oxford. Delightful to drink New Zealand wine there, and it was a wonderful choice, full-bodied, yeasty, but still showing some fresh fruit. Chin Chin!