Whenever the topic of Champagne comes up, for special occasions, gifting or fizzy cocktails, we like to remind everyone that there are delicious—and less costly—alternatives to Champagne.

Consider these more affordable bubblies at half the price or less:

 
 
INTRODUCING SEKT

Sekt is a German term for sparkling wines* (Sekts are also made in Austria).

Finally, excellent Sekts from Germany are being imported into the U.S., and are waiting for you at fine wine stores in major markets.

Sparkling wine accounts for 31% of Germany’s total wine production (Gewürtztraminer and Riesling account for most of the majority).

And its Germans—not the French—who are the world’s biggest consumers of sparkling wine, consuming more sparkling wine per capita than any other people (not just Sekt, Champagne, Cava and Prosecco as well) [source].

The vast majority of Sekt produced is everyday, middle quality and isn’t imported into the U.S. in significant quantities.

You don’t want that $10 bottle of Sekt. Instead, you want the 5% of Sekt that is rated premium in Germany, now available in the U.S. starting around $20 a bottle.

Premium Sekt is made by the méthode traditionnelle that is used to make Champagne, although the grapes used and the terroir create very different flavors.

You don’t get the famous toast-and-limestone flavors of Champagne, but instead, delicate biscuit and brioche accents.

Some fruits are similar: apple, citrus, pear. Among the Sekt-producing regions—Mosel, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheinhessen and Rheingau—each has its own general flavor profile.

Premium Sekt is made only from grapes from one of the 13 quality wine regions in Germany. These wines are labeled Sekt b.A, indicating a protected designation of origin wine region.

The grapes used include Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir† and Riesling. Some vintners have begun to use Chardonnay†. The majority of premium Sekts are single varietals.

Premium Sekts are usually vintage dated with the vintner, and optionally the village and the vineyards. Those labeled Winzersekt (winegrower’s Sekt) are made by a producer who has vineyards of his/her own.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF GERMAN WINE

Germany has a history of winemaking that dates back to 100 B.C.E., when the conquering Romans planted vineyards.

During the Middle Ages, monks cultivated vineyards that are famous to this day. Historical properties like the Cistercian Monastery Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau have a viticultural history dating back to about 1200 C.E. [source].

For many centuries, Germany and France were considered the two greatest wine producing countries in the world.

The Noble Sweet wines of Germany, so-called because they were favored by the nobility—stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the classified growths of Bordeaux and Burgundy. These were the wines to collect and treasure.

Germany produced (and still produces) fine dry Gewürtztraminer and Riesling along with their sweet counterparts.

Alas, in the 1960s, the U.S. and other markets were flooded with large quantities of sweet blended wines that were created for export, including the now-infamous Blue Nun and Liebfraumilch (brands unknown in Germany).

Advertising campaigns got people to buy them. Not knowing the difference, they served them with beef, pasta, and other foods that created a train wreck of pairings.

So German wines—except the top Gewürtztraminers and Rieslings coveted by connoisseurs—went under the radar in the U.S.

Sekt was unheard of in the U.S., except by people who knew it from Germany.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SEKT

German production of sparkling wines dates back to 1826, when Georg Christian Kessler returned from 16 years of working at the Champagne house Veuve Clicquot.

If you’ve ever wondered why some of the best Champagne houses sound German—Bollinger, Krug, Piper-Heidsieck and Mumm, for example— it’s a result of Germans’ love of Champagne.

In the early 19th century, numerous Germans traveled to Champagne to learn the technique of making sparkling wine. Some stayed to found what became famous houses.

Initially, in Germany, sparkling wines could not be called Sekt.

To make a long story short, a legal decision in the 1970s abolished the large producers’ monopoly on Sekt production, allowing winemaking cooperatives and individual winegrowers to produce and sell their own sparkling wines.

And now, better Sekts from those winegrowers are appearing at wine stores and e-tailers in the U.S.

Another legal decision enabled the name Sekt being for German sparkling wines [source].
 
 
SEKT WINE PAIRINGS AND TOP BRANDS

Sekt pairs with everything you’d enjoy with another sparkling wine.

Serve it with hard-to-pair foods like Asian and Indian cuisines, asparagus, and anything fried.

Sekt loves cheeses, especially blues and the semisoft.

[1] You can enjoy a lovely glass of German Sekt for less than a bottle of French Champagne (photo © Rebelle | NYC).

[2] A trio of Sekts from Fürst von Metternich, made with (from left to right) Riesling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

[3] Sekt made by Mathieu Kauffmann the former cellarmaster of Bollinger (photo © Foodepedia).

[4] Like Champagne, Sekts are made in different levels of sweetness, from dry to slightly sweet (brut, trocken, halbtrocken); and are also made in rosé. Sparkling wines are so popular in German that Henkell, a popular-priced producer, makes an alcohol-free Sekt (photo © Henkell.

[5] For people who don’t drink alcohol, how about a gift of alcohol-free Sekt (photo © Henkell).

[6] Serve Sekt with cheese and charcuterie (photo © Castello Cheese).

How about a Sekt tasting with different grape types, and different regions?

That’s how we recently enjoyed a Sekt tasting of 15 different wines, courtesy of German Wines USA.

Brands we loved:

It was an eye-opener!

The wines ranged from $20 to $50 a bottle.

For $20 a bottle, the Fitz-Ritter is a wonderful aperitif, as is the Dr. Loosen for $25.

For $22 and $27, respectively, the Hild Elbling and Von Winning are lovely food-pairing wines.
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*Some inexpensive German sparkling wines don’t meet the standards to be called Sekt.

†Pinot Noir is one of the two major grapes, along with Chardonnay, that are used in France to make Champagne. Here are the different styles of Champagne, which have some analogies in Sekt.

‡Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti: the difference. Both wines hail from the area around the town of Asti in Piedmont, in northwest Italy. Both wines have the DOCG classification. Both have an alcohol by volume (A.B.V.) of 5.5% (11 proof). To put that into perspective, the average bottle of wine has 12% A.B.V. (24 proof). For this reason, both are good choices for light drinkers.

Asti Spumante has lower, residual sugar but often seems sweeter than the Moscato d’Asti because great care is taken in the harvest and production so the sweet, sugary taste dominates the pronounced fruity Muscat character of the grape. Asti Spumante is made with the Charmat method: After the first fermentation, the wine undergoes a second fermentation in a sealed tank where the bubbles are created. The fermentation therefore takes longer than the fermentation of the Moscato d’Asti, which results in the lower residual sugar content [source].

With Moscato d’Asti, the grapes are immediately pressed when harvested. The juice is then filtered and stored in a cool place, and fermentation is only done when there is a wholesale demand for the wine (this way best preserves the fresh and fruity flavors and aromas). Fermentation takes place in a closed tank so that the carbon dioxide cannot escape and the wine gets its bubbles. When the wine has reached 5.5% alcohol, the fermentation is stopped by cooling, but part of the sugars in the grapes have not yet fermented. This is how Moscato gets its natural sweetness.
 
 

[1] Eggnog was originally served in a four-ounce cup, called a nog (photo and recipe © Whole Foods Market). It’s the size of a modern punch cup.

[2] We like a grated nutmeg garnish on eggnog. You can substitute grated chocolate. (photo © McCormick).

[3] If you want to serve a nibble with the nog, try gingersnaps (photo © Splendid Spoon).

Eggnog, also spelled egg nog or egg-nog, dates to Colonial America. It is descended from European milk-and-wine punches that were served centuries before then. Here’s the history of egg nog.

In Europe as well as the Colonies, the alcoholic beverage was also known as milk punch or egg milk punch—hence the first part of “egg nog.”

A noggin is a small drinking cup or mug, holding a quarter of a pint (4 ounces)—the same as what we now call a punch cup.

“Noggin” first appears in print in the mid-17th century. It initially referred to the cup, and later indicated a quarter of a pint [source].

Noggin became nog, and the egg-based drink served in it: egg nog.

December 24th is National Eggnog Day, but we wanted you to see this recipe prior to Christmas.
 
 
THE RICHEST DRINK

Fortunate we are that an eggnog serving is only four ounces. The sweet, rich beverage is typically made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks and whipped egg whites.

Some people top it with whipped cream, others add ice cream. Talk about gilding the lily!

This recipe from Whole Foods Market adds another holiday ingredient: cranberries.

You can make the eggnog from scratch or save time and purchase it.

 
 
RECIPE: CRANBERRY EGGNOG

In the following recipe, the sweet richness of eggnog is tempered by the tart cranberries.

For Thanksgiving, you can substitute pumpkin purée and some pumpkin pie spices (allspice, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg) for the cranberries.

Eggnog is typically served with alcohol: bourbon, brandy or rum (if you have spiced rum, this is the time to bring it out).

If you don’t know the preferences of your guests—cocktail vs. mocktail, or type of spirit—prepare the eggnog without alcohol.

Leave bottles of any or all of the spirits next to the eggnog. People can add their favorite alcohol, or none at all.

We like our eggnog with a crunchy gingersnap on the side—a seasonal cookie that’s better here than the even more seasonal gingerbread man, because it’s less sweet. Mini biscotti work, too.

Ingredients For 8 Four-Ounce Servings

1. COMBINE the eggnog, cranberries and salt in a blender and purée until smooth. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

You can add a bit of the leftovers to your morning coffee.
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*We don’t like to garnish with cranberries because they’re too tart to eat. Thus: food waste by those who know; spitting out by those who try to eat them.

A great gift for any occasion—and especially for a last-minute holiday gift—is a subscription to a meal delivery service.

You can send it anytime, in the sum of your choice. The recipient gets an email with instructions on how to select and order his/her meals.

We recently received a gift of a week of prepared meals from Eat Clean Bro Meal Delivery Service, which serves most areas of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

There are other meal delivery options across the country, offering everything from the mainstream to keto-friendly to dairy-free, gluten-free and meals under 400 calories.

We’d never ordered from a service before, and we were very surprised at how good everything was: flavorful meals designed to nourish with “clean” food*.

Eat Clean Bro’s menu was developed by a bodybuilder, based on the guidelines that he and other athletes follow.

In fact, our meals tasted like our Mom was back in the kitchen, turning out her fine home cooking.

We got to choose the menu for the forthcoming week’s meals, and selected;

 
Everything is delivered fully cooked and ready to heat. When reheated, the meals were as delicious as they would have been right off the stove.
 
 
WHO WILL ENJOY THIS MOST?

It’s a great idea for people who don’t like to cook, or don’t have the time.

It’s a great way to get a diet off to an easy start for the new year.

Giftees can order during their busy season (example: the upcoming tax season for accountants, final exams), or the time crunches we all have.

[1] Six days of clean eating (all photos © Eat Clean Bro).

[2] Pineapple-glazed salmon with diced vegetables, chickpeas and beans.

[3] Carolina half chicken with vegetables.

A meal delivery service may be an eye-opener for a friend or family member who’s never tried meal delivery before. It’s a luxury that we think is well worth it.

To find a service in the giftee’s area, check online and check the menus.

While most services have excellent choices of meat, poultry and seafood, some services have an equally large selection of vegan and vegetarian options; some have organic and low-salt options, etc.

To our friends who are reading this: Yes, we’d like another gift of meal delivery.

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*Clean eating is a dietary concept that avoids refined and processed foods, and those that have artificial ingredients, including certain preservatives and additives. The goal is to eat whole, natural foods.

A few weeks ago we wrote about Bailey’s Red Velvet Irish Cream Liqueur in a product review.

We’ve grown so very fond of it that we’ve elevated it to a Top Pick Of The Week.

A special edition for Holiday 2019, chocolate lovers should not miss this one (photo #1).

Baileys Red Velvet Irish Cream liqueur has rich cocoa flavor that classic red velvet cake should have, but most rarely do (that’s our humble opinion).

It smells like cocoa, tastes like cocoa made with heavy cream, and for eye appeal, it’s a dusty rose color.
 
 
USES FOR BAILEYS RED VELVET IRISH CREAM LIQUEUR

Sip it straight! This stuff is just too good to mix into cocktails, to bake into brownies or red velvet cake, or to swirl into cheesecake.

But you can:

 
We bought ourselves a few bottles to last through the year, and a few more bottles as holiday gifts.

We hope you love it as much as we do!

[1] Sip the pink elixir from a liqueur glass, or turn it into a mini ice cream float, shown here with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream (photo © Diageo).

[2] Have some as a chaser after a piece of red velvet cake. Here’s the recipe from McCormick (photo © McCormick).

[1] Jingle Belle: 7-Up and bitters with a raspberry-mint garnish (photo © Beatnik | Chicago).

More and more people don’t drink alcohol, and seek club soda or soft drinks at parties.

If some of your guests fall into that category, why not create a “Mocktail Menu?”

It’s quite easy, and it will bring them some extra holiday cheer.

Some suggestions:

 
Even guests who do drink alcohol may turn to the Mocktail Menu for their third drinks, and beyond.

This is the same mixture used for a regular Bloody Mary, just without the vodka.

Our recipe makes a spicy drink with lots of flavor and just 41 calories per 8-ounce glass. Plus, it has 74% of the daily requirement of vitamin C and 22% of vitamin A.

As an alternative to horseradish you can use 6 drops of hot sauce, but the horseradish adds much better flavor.

If you don’t want any heat, use more Worcestershire and lemon juice; then experiment with a drop or two of hot sauce to round out the flavors.

Ingredients For Four 8-Ounce Drinks

 
Preparation

Combine the ingredients and chill. Before serving, stir or shake the mix.

If it’s well chilled, there’s no need for ice, that dilutes the drink.