Let’s go by country, starting with France.
Champagne, of course, is our ideal sparkling wine, synonymous with bubbles in our glass. But equating sparkling wine with champagne does a disservice not only to champagne but also to other regions and countries producing different styles of bubbles. The professional champagne association has been zealous – sometimes too much – to protect the name of sparkling wine from the Champagne region. What used to be called the “champenoise method” – producing bubbles by a second fermentation in the bottle – is now called the traditional or classic method. The champagne is made from different blends of chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier. Other varieties are allowed but rarely used.
Champagne is worth experiencing, if you have the budget. It can be very personal – people have their favorites among the big houses and the small “grower” growers. One rule: Any champagne over $40 a bottle is probably well made. The differences tend to be style. Prices can soar into the triple digits depending on etherity, rarity, and prestige. Champagne is a luxury product.
Pro tip: The Kirkland Signature Champagne Brut sold by Costco and priced at $20 is excellent and the best value champagne on the market.
The French budgetary alternative to champagne is crémant, made using the same traditional method but in different regions, from different grape varieties and with less pressure causing the bubbles in your nose. Alsace, Loire and Burgundy (Burgundy) are the best known in this style.
Pro tip: Crémant de Bourgogne, made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the region most famous for these grapes, comes closest to Champagne in flavor and style, at a more modest price point.
Italy’s best-known sparkling wine is prosecco, a delicious way to start an evening with sweet bubbles. Prosecco originates from northeast Italy and is produced in large quantities to meet global demand. The bubbles come from forced carbonation in a large vat, a technique called the Charmat or vat method. This process accentuates the fruitiness of the wine, unlike the yeasty and bready notes that emerge from the traditional method. Basic prosecco is cheap and often boring, with a lackluster sweetness.
Pro tip: Look for Prosecco Superiore, often referred to as Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore after the two towns in this sub-zone. A higher altitude gives these wines more character. My favorite prosecco producers are Adami, Villa Sandi, BISOL and Perlage.
Two Italian regions are trying to associate Champagne with high quality sparkling wines made according to the traditional method. Franciacorta is the best known, although it often approaches champagne prices (around $40 or more). A boomlet is underway for Trentodoc, an appellation for sparkling wine from Trentino in the mountains of northern Italy. The best known and most widely available Trentodoc wines are from Cantine Ferrari – and come on, you’ve always wanted a Ferrari.
spain How are you has languished in a reputation for cheap, unserious fizz made from little-known Spanish varietals (although chardonnay often makes an appearance). This has led some artisan producers to give up the Cava label in their quest for quality. Raventos i Blanc is the best known of these, although the wines are hard to find and not cheap. They are exceptional. The new appellation of sparkling Rioja (I recently wrote about Carlos Serre) is another example of an effort to distinguish quality standards outside of Cava.
That said, I recently tasted a delicious cava that makes me suspect that producers in the region are trying to overcome this perception of poor quality. And the best news: cava is still cheap. Even a gran reserva can be found for around $25 or less.
Pro tip: Cava, which is made using the traditional method, has categories with different aging requirements corresponding to increases in quality and complexity. Natural Cava must be aged on its lees for at least nine months, Reserve Cava for at least 15 months and Gran Reserve for at least 30 months. Cava de Paraje Calificado is a cuvée from a single vineyard aged on lees for at least 10 years. My favorite cava producers are 1+1=3, Biutiful, Juve & Camps and Navaran. Top bargains include Segura Viudas and Jaume Serra Cristalino.
California has several sparkling wine producers owned or linked to champagne houses (Roederer Estate, Domaine Chandon, Domaine Carneros, Mumm Napa, Piper Sonoma) and Spanish cava makers (Artesa, Gloria Ferrer), as well as producers premises (Schramsberg, Iron Horse). Many smaller labels also produce their own bubbles. Oregon produces exceptional sparkling wines (Argyle, Soter, although the latter is not cheap). Industry buzz is that New York’s Finger Lakes are about to burst with a new wave of bubbly to join established producers such as Chateau Frank and Herman J. Wiemer. And two-year-old Virginia Sparkling Co., owned by the family behind Veritas Vineyards, is helping more Old Dominion producers make the traditional way sparkling to join state leaders Thibaut-Jannison, Veritas and Trump Winery.
Pro tip: Some of the best economic bubbles come from unexpected places. New Mexico’s Gruet winery offers exceptional quality at a modest price (often labeled as American when grapes from other states are used). Laurent Gruet, from this family, now makes a beautiful sparkling wine called Silverhead Brut at Vara Winery, also in Albuquerque. Graham Beck from South Africa and Amalaya from Argentina are among my favourites.
This whirlwind tour has barely scratched the surface of the world of sparkling wine. Hope it piqued your thirst for tasty and affordable bubbles this holiday season.
