Pop the cork this New Year and let the champagne bubbles carry you away. The 2023 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships released their verdict on the world’s best fizzies and we’re here to inform, just in time to see in 2024!

Earlier in the year, the 2023 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships was held to, as the suggests, uncover the world’s finest sparkling wines and champagnes. If you’re looking to redefine your New Year's toast with liquid poetry, a glass of fizz that surpasses all else, look no further.

Champagne: A Classy Love Affair

The numbers are hard to gauge, and there’s no definitive source, but according to Internet legend, around 360 million glasses of champagne are drunk in the US on New Year's Eve. And that’s just America.

Champagne became a popular tipple due as European nobility took to drinking it during parties. Only the rich could afford it, so it soon became a status symbol, or a drink held back for very special occasions among the hoi polloi.

Quality Over Quantity?

Enter the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC), the grand stage where the globe's sparkling wine maestros gather. In its 12th year, the CSWWC has unveiled its 2023 victor—the Piper-Heidsieck 2008 Millésime Rare in magnum format.

Christmas is coming! We hope you have stocked up on lots of wonderful sparkling wines - if you need any recommendations we know plenty of fabulous producers you can try.
Check out the results of this years competition here: https://t.co/FVFaBBNJh5#Christmas #sparklingwine #fizz pic.twitter.com/1vpYDaw3Nt

— Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships (@CSWWC2023) December 19, 2023

Why a magnum? Because as we all know size matters, and a 1.5-liter vessel ensures superior aging conditions. Picture this: less air, minimized aeration, and oxidation. If that doesn't make your bubbles tingle, what will?

Pear and Marzipan

Now, let's get to the juice. According to people much more knowledgeable than us, the 2008 Millésime is a symphony of vibrant notes—a dance of pear and marzipan with a sidekick of fresh floral blooms and a citrus thread that lingers boldly. A subtle saline finale beckons you back for another sip, suggesting a rendezvous with oysters or Dover sole. At $209 for the magnum, you're not just paying for a bottle; you're investing in an elixir of sophistication and bubbles.

A Cheaper Alternative

If that’s just all a touch too rich for your tastes, after all, we're not all Alex Hope, the aptly named Liquor.com has listed another Piper-Heidsieck as your best cheaper option. The old PH is doing well, it seems.

Bottoms up, and here's to a fantastic 2024!