Raise your glass: The Superbowl is this Sunday, and when the Saints come marching in, corks will be popping all over Louisiana. But which corks should you pop? We asked a few wine experts around town which bottles of bubbly they'd choose to fill their flutes.
Eileen Bonemery at Calandro's recommends the 1996 Femme Duval-Leroy, a French Champagne that will run you $148 a bottle. The grapes are harvested from Grand Cru villages, with the best of the harvest being reserved for this label, making it a light and elegant choice. For the more price-conscious, she recommends a delicious bargain, the Domaine Saint Vincent sparkling wine from New Mexico, which gives you a crisp, fresh-apple flavor at only $13.99 a bottle.
If price is no object, Ian McCaffrey at Martin Wine Cellar suggests the vintage 1999 Bollinger Grande Année at $130 a bottle. Intense and floral, with what's described as a "brioche" bouquet, it's a tipple for the connoisseur. There's also the tasty Roederer Estate Anderson Valley California sparkling wine, priced affordably at $19.99, which tickles the tongue with a strong flavor of citrus and almond. Martin is also still carrying their Who Dat vintages, although McCaffrey warns that on-hand stock of these is selling quickly.
The Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle is the suggestion of Sydney Offner at Bacchus Fine Wines. A limited production brut with a delicate flavor, this pinot noir and chardonnay blend runs about $140 a bottle. For those who want to stay in Champagne territory but cut back on the cost, there are bottles of the famous Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne that are only $40; however, Offner says, there's a premier brut version that costs $115, so check the shelves carefully.



