Jury · New Year's Eve with friends · New Year's Eve
A blind fizz tasting for New Year's Eve
Is the champagne really four times better than the cava? New Year's Eve is the perfect excuse to find out. Pour the fizz blind, rate each glass, and reveal the prices at the very end.
- Bottles
- Four to six
- Per taste
- 4–5 cl
- Serve
- Well chilled, 6–8°C
Updated
Champagne, crémant, cava and prosecco
The four most common sparkling wines taste different, which is exactly why they are fun to put side by side:
| Wine | From | Typical traits |
|---|---|---|
| Champagne | The Champagne region of France | Second fermentation in the bottle. Often notes of bread and brioche |
| Crémant | Other French regions, such as Alsace, Burgundy and the Loire | Made the same way as champagne, often at a lower price |
| Cava | Spain, mostly Penedès in Catalonia | Second fermentation in the bottle. Often fresh and light |
| Prosecco | North-east Italy | Usually second fermentation in a tank. Often fruity and soft |
That gives the evening a good question: can you taste the difference in method, and does price matter when you can't see the bottle?
How to hold the tasting
Buy four to six bottles.
Ideally one of each kind, plus an expensive champagne as the joker. One bottle gives around 15 tastes.
Chill them evenly.
Every bottle should be the same temperature, or the coldest will taste freshest. Six to eight degrees is about right.
Hide the labels.
One person wraps the bottles in foil or paper bags and numbers them. That person pours.
Pour and rate.
4–5 cl per glass. Each wine is a round, and everyone rates without saying a word.
Reveal at the end.
Reveal the ratings, then unwrap the bottles in order of score. Save the prices for last.
Open bottles carefully and hold the cork with a napkin. Tilt the glass as you pour so the fizz doesn't foam over.
Criteria for fizz
“For midnight” is the overall impression: is this the one you want in your glass when the clock strikes twelve?
Without alcohol
Alcohol-free sparkling wine can join in as its own round, or get a whole tasting of its own. See alcohol-free tasting for ideas.
Questions and answers
How many bottles do we need?
One bottle gives around 15 tastes of 5 cl. For ten people, four to six bottles are enough for the tasting.
What is the difference between champagne and crémant?
Both get their second fermentation in the bottle, but champagne only comes from the Champagne region. Crémant comes from other French regions.
Should we eat anything?
A little plain bread or unsalted crackers between rounds helps. Save the canapés for after the reveal.
What do we do with the rest?
Toast with the winner at midnight.
More from new year's eve with friends
Ready for the first round?
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