Airline Champagne – Good Choice for New Years Eve?

Tonight many revelers will ring in New Years Eve with a champagne toast.  While I think champagne is an every day beverage (I mean seriously – it pairs with everything from sushi to fried chicken), others I know limit their champagne consumption to specific events like weddings, New Years Eve, and premium travel experiences.

If you are in that latter category, you might find yourself wondering if your favorite airline champagne is a good choice for New Years Eve – or if you can’t find it at the local bottle shop (or had sticker shock at the price), what might be a comparable substitute.

I loved this piece from Runway Girl Network that walks through premium class airline champagne.  They note that there are basically three types of champagne consumers – in essence those who care about the palate, those who care about the brand, and those who are just excited to be drinking champagne on an airplane!

The piece goes on to walk through various offerings by price category (starting from the category 0 finds you might get on American Airlines and walking upward to the category 5 finds that are staples of Asian first class cabins).

When I’m not the one paying the tab, my personal favorites include Salon (sometimes found in JAL First), Krug (a Cathay and Singapore staple in both first class cabins), Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame (once upon a time, this was the United pick in international first… those were the days!), and Bollinger Grande Année (British Airways).

But if you are looking for a bottle for home this evening and also conscious of the price point, you may be turning towards the brand staples (good old Veuve Clicquot yellow label or Moet Chandon, for example).  An alternate move might be to look towards some of the domestic premium sparkling wines.  A few of my favorites are Chandon’s étoile (brut or rose), Domaine Carneros La Reve blanc de blanc, or a vintage brut from J Vineyards.

Wherever you are, whatever you decide to toast with – and whatever you decide to pair it with (I’m telling you – fried chicken!), I hope you have a wonderful and SAFE New Years Eve!

(And if you are out and about, don’t forget to check out my ten tips for Uber on New Years Eve!)