Champagne and Sparkly Bits

Have been down for the count this weekend with a cold. First one in a year or so. It's been coming for a while and I finally just want to get it over with. At least I'm tied to home and finally digging through all these tidbits on my desk. Today's food tidbits look to be about sparkling wines culled from a NYTimes food section from last December. Still on my desk? See, now you understand the problem. (In my defense, this was the section with Masa's four-star reveiw, so I kind of wanted to keep it for posterity's sake.)

• Tip: To keep sparkling wine cold, try putting a few frozen red grapes at the bottom of each glass. (This would be useful if you were prepouring glasses or in summer when it warms up so fast.) Plus, it looks nice.
• Sparkling sake is the new fizzy in NY bars. With a lower alcohol content than regular sake, it's a little like sparkly soda. A variety of types are availabe from dry (sold as Poochi Poochi) to sweet (Harushika), look for it on its own or in cocktails.
• Last but not least, if you're looking at champagne or sparkling wine for a party, price does matter. Skip the really cheap stuff and go mid-range. You don't have to pay Mumm or Dom Perignon prices, though. Look for some good Spanish cavas or Italian proseccos. You'll get more for your money -- and maybe even a case for the price of the really expensive stuff. (Try to skip the ultra cheap Trader Joe's stuff.)