When I got down toward the end, though, I couldn't resist a chuckle when I noticed how his opinion and mine about inexpensive American bubbly seem to differ somewhat.
In the CJ, Marty wrote ...
America produces some of the cheapest and some of the best sparkling wines on the planet. For decades, André has been the biggest-selling sparkling wine in the country, and perhaps in the world. Somehow, year after year, the firm figures out a way to make, bottle and cap what it calls “carbonated wine” for under $5.
Crowd-pleasers
If you're pouring for hundreds of people — or are just pleased to see bubbles pop, André, which offers flavors like Peach Passion to go along with classics like Cold Duck and Extra Dry, can be found at shops all over town.
For twice the price, $10.99, Korbel remains one of America's great values, a sturdy, reliable sparkling wine that never disappoints.
In my brief weekly Grape Escape column in LEO, I offered simple counsel:
Want to buy American? We make it all, from high-end bubblies to horrifying industrial swill. Many top French champagne producers make California sparklers, too. Give them a look, but pass on any domestic sparkler that’s big enough to advertise on TV.
Something in these two pictures does not match.
