I often find it quite difficult to identify the grape blend when drinking Champagne. But it can be satisfying sometimes to drink a Champagne, and amidst all of the other sensations, to get a clear sense of the grape blend. NV Billiot Champagne Brut Reserve Grand Cru , $45, Terry Theise Selections/Michael Skurnik Imports. MORE >>

Champagne Lunch at the Wine Media Guild. Curious about some favorite Champagnes? Speaking at the event - an annual event - was Ed McCarthy, author of Champagne for Dummies. An even third of the classic Champagne grapes of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier, this was a terrific value and incredibly delicious. MORE >>

Alex Halberstadt , a Brooklyn-based writer who covers wine for The Faster Times, an online newspaper, recently invited me to his house to participate in a blind tasting of Champagne. Imagine, for example, that you wanted to do a tasting of Pinot Noir with friends, and your idea is to compare new world wines to old world wines. MORE >>

I want to tell you about what I think is one of the best wine values in Champagne, a wine made by René Geoffroy. I'm talking about Empriente, the Pinot Noir based wine made from a single vintage, although it is not a vintage wine. NV René Geoffroy Champagne Empriente , $55, Terry Theise Selections/Michael Skurnik Imports. MORE >>

Cédric Bouchard is one of the leaders of the new wave in Champagne. He comes from a Champagne family - his father is an old school grower, but Cédric does things differently. He wants to make wine, and he happens to be doing this in Champagne. Let me first say that it is not a joke, what they say about Champagne out of magnum. MORE >>