This bargain sparkling wine comes from about 70 miles north of the Mexican border and what makes it even more intriguing is the fact that it is made by a French family. They, and now a few contract growers too, grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines so that they can make a more or less exact copy of the Gruet champagne that their father produced so successfully in the Côte Sézanne in the south of the Champagne region. The Brut NV is refreshingly zesty and dry. This smaller size is a wonderful way to enjoy an aperitif before your meal or with hors d'oeuvres (chips count!).