And the dearer the bottle, the longer it's likely to have been waiting for a buyer. If it's still wrapped in its original tissue or shut in its own box, that's a good sign. Inspect the bottle and its package for signs of wear and tear, like grubby old price tags, scuffed labels, dust and grime. Buy by the case, even if you're only buying a couple of bottles. Mix your champagne with other wines to get the case price, which is usually a good 10 per cent cheaper than the single-bottle price.
Vintage champagne is better value than non-vintage.
A vintage is made from higher-quality grapes, from superior vineyards and comes from a good year. The drier versions go well with oysters, crab and smoked and gravlax salmon. Vintage These are stronger and drier wines which go with all the above but also richer foods, including seafood bisque, scallop and artichoke terrine, trout in beurre blanc, smoked salmon with creme fraiche and salmon roe. And with powerful wines such as Krug - even pigeon or duck. Serve with oysters, crab, souffle, seafood mousse and crab timbale.