For many people, Champagne is something that should be enjoyed only on very special occasions. Weddings. Graduations. Births. But not even the birth of a second or third child. No, for some, just the birth of a first, because hey, after that first one, is it really enough of an occasion to crack open a bottle of Champagne? Indeed, for some people, drinking bubbly is too big an indulgence to even consider “wasting” at an event that could in any way, shape, or form be construed as ordinary. After all, if Champagne flowed the way that wine and beer did in the everyday, it would itself become ordinary. And ordinary is just a slightly nicer way of saying not special.
As a lover of Champagne — and really, all beverages sparkling — this makes me sad. I obviously agree that Champagne is special; in fact, I think it is the most special drink in the world. But that to me is the precise reason we should drink it as often as possible. The same way we should spend as much time as possible doing other things that we love. Isn’t that, after all, the point of life? I mean, as long as you have your responsibilities covered, of course. I’m certainly not encouraging people to drink Champagne at the expense of, say, feeding children. But I am saying that people who reserve Champagne for special occasions just because they think it is the appropriate thing to do are missing out big time. Here are five reasons why:
It’s important to celebrate the simple pleasures in life
While big milestones are, of course, a worthy cause for celebration, it’s the day-to-day moments that really make up our lives; the mid-week happy hours with coworkers, the Sunday afternoon picnics in the park, or, my personal favorite, Friday nights spent alone on the couch eating takeout and watching reruns of “How I Met Your Mother.” Sure, these moments may not be as exciting or as “sexy” as the big events, but they are the simple pleasures that keep us going in between those big events. And beyond that, they are the simple pleasures that keep us smiling each and every day. When you look at it that way, why wouldn’t we celebrate them as well? They are certainly deserving of a Champagne toast in my book.
You can get a great bottle of Cava or Prosecco for 10 bucks
I’ll admit, people who argue that Champagne is too expensive to enjoy on the regular have a point. Unless you are wealthy or have it on good word from a psychic that you are definitely going to win the lottery any day now, it’s hard to keep up with the cost day in and day out. Indeed, most good bottles will run you at least $35 to $45. With that said, there are a lot of wonderful sparkling wine alternatives. And while they’re not Champagne, they still taste great, and, more importantly, cost next to nothing. Spanish Cava and Italian Prosecco are my favorites. In fact, if I’m being completely honest, I will take a glass of Cava over a glass of Champagne any day (please, stop gasping, it’s not that radical).
The bubbles are mesmerizing
If you are the type of person who will shell out 20 to 30 bucks for yoga on a regular basis because it calms you, I have big news: Watching bubbles rise in a glass of sparkling wine has the same exact calming effect. And for what you pay for the hour-long yoga class, you can get TWO WHOLE BOTTLES of Champagne. Even if you drink half a bottle an hour, that’s four times more bang for your buck.
It makes everything fancy
Seriously, add a glass of Champagne to any ordinary experience and it immediately transforms it into a swanky, sophisticated happening. Tuesday night leftovers become Michelin-rated dining; pre-flight drinks at an airport bar turn into pure luxury in a premiere airline lounge; and a play date with your first grade mom friends and their kids basically becomes a convening of Dorothy Parker and the Vicious Circle at the Algonquin Hotel. One time I even went so far as to order sparkling wine at a very questionable TGI Fridays-type place in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York, thinking that maybe it would be the first time Champagne actually wasn’t a good idea. I was wrong. It was a good idea. Because Champagne always is. It always, without fail, makes everything better.
Life’s too short
Life is just too short to skimp on the little pleasures. And you never know what it has in store, either. So it’s important to seize the moments you do have and spend them as happily as you can. I mean, do you really want to look back on your days and wish you had enjoyed more of something you love? Do you? Why don’t you pour yourself a nice glass of Cava and think about that.
