When Mr. Clicquot died in 1805, he left the champagne to his widow – or “veuve” in Fench. Mrs. Clicquot was quite the businesswoman and she grew the company by leaps and bounds. Today Veuve Clicquot has a royal warrant for Queen Elizabeth II, and was even Claude Rains’ celebratory drink in Casablanca. While other blogs are promoting the Limited Edition, the Traveler, and the Vertical Limit – we think they are overpriced and overplayed. Stick to the classics – and keep an extra in your fridge for moments that deserve it. A great bottle of bubbly for around $40. BUY

Next time you’re buying those red cups for large parties, try grabbing these Greenware Cups. A new line by NatureWorks – who figured out a way to extract the starch from corn and convert it to sugar and lactic acid using fermentation – which results in a plastic called polylactide. All you really need to know is these are made entirely from corn, and they biodegrade in 50 days when met with 150º and 90% humidity (a.k.a composting conditions – don’t worry they will survive shelfing). Keep in mind these are only good for cold drinks. Now to get college students to use these… $105 for 1,000 cups. Buy Here.