Ick!

I made a huge mistake. I bought a bottle of Champalou Brut from Green & Blue based on the description on their website:

"We implore you not to think of this as a cheap alternative to champagne but as a gorgeously scented, honeyed quince and apple flavoured wine"

I trusted them. I tend to think that Green & Blue is the kind of place where they've actually tried the wine and bought it because it was good and written about it from their experiences, rather than just flog it off with the maker's PR. In this case, I think I was wrong. How could anyone, anywhere, who knows even the minute-est thing about wine write that Champalou is any kind of alternative to champagne?

First off, it smelled like a used Band-Aid, damp and plastic-y. It tasted like how some grandmothers smell, sweet, a little floral, and slightly musty. Mercifully, it had no finish. And the bubbles...not even worth mentioning. It improved when we drank it with some really salty cheeses, but not by much. It wasn't anywhere close to champagne, I wouldn't even compare this to some of the worst cavas that I've drunk.

Right off, my husband, who didn't know what this was, asked if it was from Vouvray. He knew from the first sip that it was a wine typical of that area. In his words - "they bottle it sweet, and it's a crapshoot from there how it turns out". So if you like that kind of wine, then Champalou is for you. If you're looking for a cheap alternative to champagne, try some of the cavas or proseccos that I've liked, they'll be safer bets!