Costco Should Be Your First Stop When Buying Champagne

Celebrating an anniversary or time with friends feels a bit more special with Champagne, but it can be very expensive. With price tags reaching as high as $1.5 million, it is difficult to find a bottle for less than $40. Costco's Kirkland Signature Brut Champagne makes it easier, with a highly rated, affordable bottle to keep in the fridge.

Champagne must be produced in the Champagne region of France using very specific methods to be labeled as such. These complex rules and limits on production usually means it is difficult to produce cost-effectively, but not impossible. This Costco Brut is the real deal, and its well-below-average price tag of $19.99 belies its quality.

Kirkland Signature Brut Champagne is produced by Manuel Janisson of Verzenay, France and it has rave reviews from connoisseurs and everyday bubbly enthusiasts alike. The Janisson Champagne house is known for its fresh and intense Champagnes that sell for more than double the Costco version. A classic dry champagne (Brut champagne must have less than 12 grams of sugar on a scale of 0 to 50+), this bottle is a favorite within the Kirkland line. It blends Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, and drinks fruity, crisp, and a bit creamy, which makes you think you are enjoying something far more expensive.

With this affordable bottle of Champagne on-hand for any occasion, it is helpful to know how to present it at its best. Champagne flutes look great, but a wider white wine glass better releases the bubbles, and thereby the aromas and effervescence. Champagne is best served cold, between 50 and 54 degrees Fahrenheit. To chill a bottle down quickly, place it in a bucket filled with ice and water and twirl for about five minutes.

Champagne is best finished immediately, but it can hold in the refrigerator with a tight-fitting stopper for two to three days. Day-old Champagne is a great option for cocktails like the French 75 and wartime favorite Kir Royale. Lily Bollinger, former head of Bollinger Champagne, said having champagne in the house was "obligatory," via VinePair. This $20 bottle of Kirkland Signature Brut Champagne makes it possible to meet that obligation, with a well-priced, quality bottle.