About 10:30pm every New Years eve, I always ask myself the same question, why don’t I drink champagne more often?  It’s easy to drink, pairs well with numerous dishes, and its always a crowd-pleaser.  So what’s preventing me from enjoying this sparkling delight more often?  I don’t put much weight into the belief you need to save it for celebrations; whenever I open a bottle I celebrate.  I’m also not turned off by the price of quality bubbly thanks to finds such as Michel Dervin and Agrapart & Fils Les 7 Crus.  The real issue is the bottle, all 750ml of it.

Unlike still wine, Champagne is difficult to save for more than a few hours.  There are some good products on the market that can slow the demise, but nothing can stop time.  Once you pop the cork, you have a couple hours.  With a stopper, you might be able to double that time.  So unless I have friends over or I feel like polishing off a bottle, that sparkling treasure will remain buried in the cellar.  However, instead of hiding my bubbly away for specific occasions, I have found a solution in the form of small format bottles or Splits.

A few years back Champagne Houses noticed a growing demand for their wine in America.

|Several factors appear to be behind the recent success. One is the popularity of rosé in the U.S.—especially sparkling rosé. Champagne houses and other sparkling producers have also targeted 20- and 30-somethings with single-serve bottles and other smart packaging. And as U.S. wine consumption as a whole increases, more Americans have learned that sparklers are food-flexible wines.|

I never like to think of myself as a slave to marketing, but I have to admit half-bottles and splits are really appealing to me.  Not only can I enjoy champagne more often, but it won’t go flat on me.  Splits are not for all occasions, but they definitely make it easier to enjoy your favorite champagne.