Gold Body Painting

So, what champagne will you be toasting with tonight to ring in the New Year? Dom Perignon? Cristal? Taittinger's? Perhaps a good sparkling wine or even sparkling apple cider. But odds are you won't be drinking Angel Champagne unless you're either very in the know, or personal friends with Mariah Carey.

12 years in the making, Stefano Zagni's recently released Angel Champagne is quite possibly the most exclusive on the market. The champagne, which is blended and cellared in Reims, France, is beautifully presented in stunningly designed, hand finished, numbered and signed bottles.

"A passion for perfection is always paramount in my decision-making,” says founder Stefano Zagni. “Whether in business or my personal life."

The story of Angel Champagne is testament to his passion. Throughout every stage of its refinement, care and expert judgment have been applied – in order that those fortunate enough to enjoy it know they are enjoying the very best.

Angel Champagne is only available from the Angel web site or through specially selected establishments, which have been approved to stock the Angel range of Champagnes.

The range of Angel Champagnes includes non-vintage, vintage and rosé champagne, made with grapes sourced from the very best and premier Crus from the region of Champagne where specialist blenders then apply the centuries-old craft of assemblage in order to perfect the unique Angel taste. Then every bottle of Angel is hand-crafted and ‘finished’ with silver and cut-glass labels, inset gems and platinum finished body. Each hand-finished bottle is unique.

The iconic style of Angel and the hand finished detailing to the bottle known as ‘the body’ that contains the Champagne & Grande Cuvee Brut is unique to each Angel White and Angel Pink produced. The Angel White & Pink Magnum was specially selected for the sheer beauty and curve of the body and the pronounced shoulder & neck.

No one bottle is the same with the Angel solid silver neck ring, identification label and stylised ‘Angel Mark’, hand finished with gems, produced and worked to be held for the first time.

Starting with the most exclusive:

Special 24 bottles- Unique. Desirable. Collectible.

To mark the immensity of the new release, the very first 24 bottles of Angel Champagne will be set aside as items of special interest for discerning investors.

Each of the 24 platinum finish bottles is to be individually numbered, with solid platinum label, hallmarking and mounted diamonds. Each will be encased in the Angel handcrafted special creation leather tube with diamond-encrusted screw heads, silver base and head.

These hugely collectible items will be available for £250,000 (or $401,863.78 USD). For pre-orders and to register your interest, please contact the Angel team by using the contact/register your interest page and listing 'Special collectible' in the address panel.

Champagne Brut Triple Jeroboam - 9L White

Platinum finish bottle body of immense stature with solid silver labels and neckband encrusted with diamond cut crystals and crystal cut glass wing embellishment and crowned with a unique silver speckled hand applied black flocked foil seal.

The colour is intense and the nose is fresh and elegant with a lovely clarity and precision to the pear, green apple, white flowers and mineral aromas that resonate on the long and elegant finish. Price: £5,450.00

Champagne Vintage Brut Magnum - 1.5L White

Platinum intense finish bottle body with solid silver labels and neckband encrusted with diamond cut crystals and crystal cut glass wing embellishment and crowned with a unique silver speckled hand applied black flocked foil seal.

The colour is intense with heady aromas that lead to a richy-textured expression of the fruit. There is a superb expression of depth and richness of brioche, quince, pear and toasted nut aromas. This textured wine possesses awesome length, density and a sublime, classy finish which can only be found in a great vintage. Price: £1,824.00

Champagne - Rose Magnum Hint of Pink 1.5L

Platinum finish bottle body with crystal hand cut glass centre peice wing in a hint of pink, solid silver labels and neckband encrusted with diamond cut crystals and crystal cut glass wing embellishment and crowned with a unique silver speckled hand applied black flocked foil seal.

The colour is delicate while the nose is intense with layers of small red berries, pomegrade, strawberries and flowers that marries power to a decidedly pure, pointillictic expression of the fruit. The finish combines wonderful elegance and finesse. Price: £1,535.00

Champagne - Brut Magnum - 1.5L White

Platinum finish bottle body with crystal hand cut glass centre piece wing in a hint of pink, solid silver labels and neckband encrusted with diamond cut crystals and crystal cut glass wing embellishment and crowned with a unique silver speckled hand applied black flocked foil seal.

The colour is delicate while the nose is intense with layers of small red berries, pomegrade, strawberries and flowers that marries power to a decidedly pure, pointillictic expression of the fruit. The finish combines wonderful elegance and finesse. Price: £1,019.00

Champagne - Brut - 750ml White

Platinum finish bottle body with solid silver labels and neckband encrusted with diamond cut crystals and crystal cut glass wing embellishment and crowned with a unique silver speckled hand applied black flocked foil seal.

The colour is intense and the nose is fresh and elegant with lovely clarity and precision to the pear, green apple, white flowers and mineral aromas that resonate on the long and elegant finish. Price: £840.00

Buy any of the above bottles here.

Prices in US dollars:
Grande Cuvee Brut White - 750ML $795 (including Angel necklace)
Grande Cuvee Brut Magnum White - 1.5L $1295 (including Angel necklace)
Grande Cuvee Brut Rosé Pink - 750ML $825 (including Angel necklace)
Grande Cuvee Brut Rosé Magnum Pink - 1.5L $1325 (including Angel necklace)
Champagne Brut White - 750ML $455
Champagne Brut Rosé Pink - 750ML $495
Champagne Brut Vintage Black - 750ML $795
Champagne Brut Magnum White - 1.5L $875

Special Creations
The Angel Special Creations range has so far included personalized, diamond encrusted bottles of Champagne and Champagne cases, plus beautiful leather bottle cases, which can be personalized, and hand finished to an exceptional and exacting level of quality.

A special custom gift case and magnum bottles with hand-crafted name embellishments were created for Mariah Carey & Nick Canon's 1st anniversary celebration gift. Both Mariah and Nick’s initials were gem encrusted:

Hand embroidered velvet bottle sleeve with drawstring and a leather shoulder bag:

Hand crafted leather embossed and stitched case with silverwork and encrusted gems:

Angel Jewelry & Accessories

Not just the bubbly, Angel’s range of available accessories includes a lapel pin and cuff links for men, a bracelet, a ring, earrings, a hairpin and necklaces for women (some with diamonds), as well as unisex necklaces and cell phone charms. A specially tailored flight transit case is also available. All of which are shown below.

Unlike luxury brand Roederer's Cristal champagne, who, in 2006, got a lot of grief (and a boycott by Jay-Z) for implying that they'd rather not be associated with hip-hop artists and their music videos, Angel champagne seems to be happy to take over that role.

Given that Mariah is the 'face' of Angel Champagne, it's no surprise that the champagne was featured in her Obsessed video and is apparently one of the gifts she is known to send. Her album, "Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel" came bundled with a CD that featured advertising for products, including Angel Champagne. The champagne has also been featured in the Rick Ross video of the hit record ‘Magnificent’ and in Fabolous' Throw it in the Bag video. and their It's My Time video.

Take that, Cristal. And Happy New Year!

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•Bevvy Of Buckets. Modern Champagne Coolers And Ice Buckets.

•More Bubbly For Your Buck. The Top 10 Best Champagne Deals.

•Enough About Champagne To Make Your Head Spin. And That's Before You Drink It.

As New Year's Eve approaches, several of us are in search of the right bubbly (and undoubtedly this year, the best 'deal') with which to toast the ringing in of 2009.

Eric Asimov, chief wine critic for the NY times gives us sparkling wine alternatives to the pricier 'champagne', selected by a panel of 25 experts, that range from $10.00 to $20.00.

By ERIC ASIMOV, December 24, 2008
THE corks will pop as usual this holiday season, and the bubbly will froth over into the glasses. Toasts will be offered, and the good times will still roll, but perhaps in a more subdued fashion. Fewer of those bottles of sparkling wine are likely to be Champagne this December.

All over the United States, people are spending less for wine, and aiming for a lower-key expression of seasonal joy. That means less Champagne. Partly, this is an economic decision. “People are clearly trading down,” said Jon Fredrikson of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates, a wine industry analyst in California. “People are still drinking wine, but it’s clearly at lower price points.”

But emotions and appearances play an important role in the decision as well. Aside from a general shortage of celebratory occasions like mergers, closings, bonuses and office parties, many restaurateurs say that customers are avoiding even the appearance of celebration.

“People just don’t want to look extravagant today,” said Paul Grieco, an owner of Hearth, Insieme and Terroir in Manhattan. “They still want to drink, so they cut out the Champagne and go directly to whatever they’re drinking with dinner.”

After several strong years, Champagne sales in the United States began to slip in 2007 as the weak dollar caused prices to rise. About 21 million bottles were shipped to the United States in 2007, down 2 percent from 2006, and the drop became precipitous in 2008. Through August, sales were down 17 percent over the corresponding period last year, according to Sam Heitner, director of the Office of Champagne U.S.A., a trade organization, and that doesn’t include the last three months of the year, when much of the Champagne is sold. “We’re in uncharted territory,” he said.

Recognizing the concern over spending, the wine panel recently tasted 25 sparkling wines priced $10 to $20, the sweet spot these days for good wine values.

We restricted ourselves to dry sparkling wines, while ruling out sparkling rosés and reds. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by the husband-and-wife team of Scott Mayger, the general manager of Telepan on the Upper West Side, and Beth von Benz, a wine consultant. The good news is that outside of Champagne, just about any region in the world that makes wine makes sparkling wine, too.

Among our 25 bottles were wines from France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Australia, as well as California, Washington state, New Mexico and Michigan. Believe me, that’s just the beginning. I’ve enjoyed good bottles from Austria, Massachusetts and Georgia (the country, not the state). I did set one more parameter: no prosecco. I like prosecco, but I enjoy it best in spring and summer, when its sprightliness seems to match the season. I didn’t rule out sekt, the sparkling wine of Germany, but maybe I should have. I’ve rarely met a sekt I’ve liked, and neither one in our tasting made our top 10. And I confess, I’m not much of a fan either of cava, the sparkling wine of Spain.

One of the three in our tasting, the Reserva Heredad from Segura Viudas, made our top 10 at No. 9, though at $20 it was maybe not such a good value. Perhaps in a different context, say, a cafe in Frankfurt or tapas bar in Barcelona, these wines might have been more appealing. But when they were mixed in with a bunch of bottles made in the fashion of Champagne, with some proportion of chardonnay and pinot noir, the main grapes of Champagne, we preferred those bottles, wherever they came from. Our top bottle, the 2004 brut from Domaine Carneros, was, of course, from California. We found it elegant and delicious, and it just squeaked by two other far-flung bottles.

Our No. 2, the Contadi Castaldi, was from the Italian region of Franciacorta, which produces some excellent Champagne facsimiles. This one was particularly dry and light-bodied, with aromas of herbs, spices and flowers.

And our No. 3 was a sparkling wine from Burgundy, the toasty, refreshing Parigot & Richard blanc de blancs, made mostly from chardonnay. While our price range was $10 to $20, most of the wines in the tasting were $15 to $20.

One of the few exceptions, and the only one to make the list, was the Crémant de Limoux blanc de blancs from Domaine J. Laurens, which at $13 was our best value. Habitués of the bargain aisle may be familiar with blanquette de Limoux, a sparkling wine from the same region in southern France. This is generally even cheaper than the Laurens, and usually made from the mauzac grape. The crémant is made of chardonnay and chenin blanc, which gives an added smoothness and elegance.

Other Champagne-style wines that we liked included three more from California, the Roederer Estate, long a personal favorite of mine, as well as the Piper Sonoma and the Gloria Ferrer. Two other French wines rounded out our top 10.

La Cravatine from Fabrice Gasnier was an oddity, a sparkling Chinon made from the cabernet franc grape. It was nonetheless light and refreshing, as was our No. 10, the herbal-scented crémant d’Alsace from Lucien Albrecht, made from pinot blanc and pinot auxerrois.

Let’s be honest, none of these bottles will match a very good Champagne. But they cost half what you would pay these days for the least expensive Champagne, and they were enjoyable. Even so, they may all still cost more than many people are willing to spend. Mr. Fredrikson said the greatest growth right now is in bottles $6 and under, which includes mass-produced sparkling wines that in my opinion are not worth the money.

There may be one bright spot for Champagne. Roberto Rogness, general manager of Wine Expo in Santa Monica, Calif., which offers an exceptional selection of sparkling wines, reports that even though cavas, crémants and other Champagne alternatives are selling “by the boatload,” Champagne sales seem to be holding their own. And Mr. Rogness is looking hopefully to next year. “We’re starting to get feelers for inauguration parties,” he said.

Tasting Report: They Aren’t Champagne, but They Do Sparkle

Domaine Carneros by Taittinger Carneros Brut 2004, $20- Toasty, creamy, elegant and lively with flavors of apple and lemon:

Contadi Costaldi Franciacorta Brut NV, $19 - Dry and light with lovely floral, mint and spice aromas. (Importer: Blavod Extreme Spirits, Franklin, Tenn.):

Parigot & Richard Cremont de Bourgogne, Brut Blanc de Blancs NV, $20 -Dry, refreshing with floral aromas and flavors of lime and brioche. (Willette Wines/A Becky Wasserman Selection, Manhasset, N.Y.):

Domaine J. Laurens Cremont de Limoux, Brut Blanc de Blancs NV, $13 - Dry and textured with refreshing flavors of citrus and flowers. (Vigneron Imports, Oakland, Calif.):

Roederer Estate, Andersen Valley Brut NV, $19 - Light, dry and Champagne-like with flavors of lemon and grapefruit:

Fabrice Gasnier Chinon Blanc de Noir La Cravatine NV $17 - Dry and frothy with lively citrus flavors. (Petit Pois/Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, N.J.):

Piper Sonoma Sonoma County Brut Blanc de Blancs Select Cuvée NV -$17 - Light and straightforward with flavors of lemon and apple.

Gloria Ferrer Carneros Brut Blanc de Blancs 2004, $20 - Light and frothy with aromas of lemon, apple and mushroom.

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Blanc de Blancs NV, $20 - Light and crisp with aromas of anise, tarragon and peach. (Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, N.Y.)

Segura Viudas Cava Brut Riserva, Heredad NV, $20 - Bright and lively with herbal, floral and citrus flavors. (Freixenet, Sonoma, Calif.):

If you want the real thing- actual Champagne-- here's a list of resources from around the Web about Champagne as selected by researchers and editors of The New York Times:

Champagne producers sites: