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It's a funny thing about sparkling wine; it never gets the respect accorded Champagne although most consumers would have a great deal of trouble distinguishing between the two in a blind tasting.
It is hardly a knock on Champagne but rather a nod to the artisans crafting modern sparkling wine around the world.
For the record, the 'champagne' of sparkling wine is made inside the strictly delimited chalky soils of the 'Champagne' appellation that lie some 140 km east and slightly north of Paris, while sparkling wine can hail from anywhere in the world and it does. But it should be no surprise that the finest sparkling wine is almost always made using the French champagne method or méthode champenoise as the French would say.
I can think of no single wine style that has improved over the past two decades more than sparkling wine, especially that group that undergoes its second fermentation in the bottle. The technique is the process perfected by the Champenoise to produce the much-sought-after tiny bubbles in every authentic bottle of Champagne.
If quality is not enough to entice you to celebrate with sparkling wine, you might consider the price. At roughly half the cost of champagne, top-rated sparkling wine is simply a bargain. Whether you are sipping Cava from Spain or sparkling wine from California, Canada or Australia, it is easy to enjoy the latest examples because they have never been better.
Now, where do we start?
Spanish sparkling wine, easily identified worldwide as cava, is a perfect place to begin. For the unaware, cava is made in the same way as champagne. Although European Union rules prohibit Spain from using the French term méthode champenoise on it labels, look for the Spanish equivalent método tradicional.
In Spain most cava is invariably a blend of macabeo, parellada and xarello grapes. There is an attractive nutty character to these dry sparklers as well as a whiff of fresh fruit. Tapas were made for cava.
In France, non-champagne sparklers or Crémant are made in most areas, although the most interesting and affordable usually come from Burgundy, Limoux and the Loire.
Not every sparkling wine undergoes a second fermentation inside a bottle; some such as most of the sekt produced in Germany is carbonated under pressure in huge tanks. Italian Prosecco is made using the Charmat method that involves putting still wine in a pressurized steel tank with specific amounts of sugar and yeast that begin a fermentation that produces carbon dioxide and carbonates the wine.
As the holidays near you can check out six delicious sparklers that lead the dozens we tasted throughout the year as featured in our Weekend Picks.
Anna Spinato Prosecco Organic N/V, Veneto, Italy
Price $14.99 | Score 87/100
UPC: 8011204003874
This organic sparkler comes in a fun bottle wrapped in colour with a floral, pear, honey-scented nose. The attack is fresh and juicy with a hint of sweetness and baked pear, honey, nutty, floral, apple skin and candied grapefruit rind flavours. It has fine intensity and offers good solid value for Prosecco.
Segura Viudas Cava Brut Rosado N/V, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain
Price $16 | Score 88/100
UPC: 00033293640004
This label should command your respect for its consistent ability to over-deliver for the price. Look for a lively, raspberry-coloured sparkling rosé with an attractive creamy mousse. The palate is dry and fresh with nutty, cherry, baked pear and citrus flavours. The perfect tapas wine you can pour freely.
See Ya Later Ranch SYL Brut N/V, Okanagan Valley
Price $21 | Score 90/100
UPC: 624738011048
Look for a bright, floral, complex brioche nose with bits of fruit and nutty lees. The entry is clean and crisp with more baked pea and yeasty notes over a dried peach and pear finish. This bubble has jumped another notch up the sparkling scale. Very fine quality. Bravo B.C.
Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Rosé Crémant de Bourgogne N/V, Burgundy, France
Price $24 | Score 88/100
UPC: 3174470080187
This 80/20 mix of Pinot Noir and Gamay has a pale raspberry colour with fresh floral, cherry, mineral, licorice aromas flecked with nutty/toasty notes. Bubbles are light and the style is slightly sweeter with very fresh acidity and tobacco, cherry, strawberry, anise and citrus/lees flavours.
Domaine Chandon Brut Classic N/V, Calif.
Price $24 | Score 88/100
UPC: 626990034278
Expect an inviting mix of baked apple and creamy, citrus, peach skin and strawberry aromas. The palate is juicy with medium dry sweetness and nutty, toasty, honey, earthy, strawberry, citrus and tobacco flavours. Good balance and flavour intensity. Great with appetizers.
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut N/V, Sonoma County, Calif.
Price $28 | Score 89/100
UPC: 33293111009
Sonoma Brut is a blend of more than 40 separate lots of mostly Pinot Noir and some Chardonnay grown on the 340-acre estate in the Sonoma Carneros district. The style is fresh, floral and delicate but with some creamy toasty notes with hints of cherry, citrus and apple flavours. Try it with most seafood including shellfish, crab and or sushi.
