Twelve grapes, twelve chimes, and a glass ready for the toast afterwards. The custom comes from Spain, and what gets opened there at midnight is cava, not champagne.
Cava is the same method as champagne at a third of the price
The second fermentation happens inside the bottle, exactly as it does in France. The difference is the grapes and the place, not the method. That's where the fine bubble and the toasted-bread note come from - the two things people pay a French premium for.
Brut means dry, and it is the word that matters
Brut is dry. Extra Dry, confusingly, is sweeter. Semi-Seco is sweeter still. For a toast buy Brut: it clears the mouth after dinner and it doesn't cloy.
Prosecco is a different thing, not a cheap version
It's Italian and it ferments in a tank rather than in the bottle. It comes out fruitier, softer and with a bigger bubble. If the table likes sweet and light, prosecco wins. If you want the taste of champagne, cava.
How much to buy
A bottle pours five toast-sized glasses. Ten people, two bottles. Twenty, four, and one spare, because the second round always gets poured heavier.
And for whoever isn’t drinking
Sparkling cider opens the same way, makes the same noise and looks the same in the glass. That's the difference between somebody joining the toast and somebody watching it. A rose cava does the same job for anyone who wants something that looks different.
Beverage World Package Store
6731 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Doraville, GA 30360. (770) 441-0001. Open 10am to 9pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 11pm Thursday to Saturday, and 11am to 9pm Sunday. Delivery from $4.99.
On our shelf right now
Prices and stock read from our own inventory when this page was built.