Buying bubbly to ring in the new year? There's a wide world of sparkling wines out there to choose from (thank goodness, because the real deal champagne will cost you upwards of $30 a bottle). If you don't know a cava from a prosecco, chances are you're heading to the wine shop without much of a clue as to what to buy. Luckily author and sommelier Marnie Old joined us on Morning Living today to offer her suggestions for sparkling spirits for the new year. Check out her suggestions-- and add your favorite sparkling wines to the comments section below!
Take a trip to Spain with cava:
- Marques de Gelida or Codorniu (plus Rose versions of the style such as Freixenet 'Cordon Rosado' and fully red versions like Segura Viudas 'Aria' Sparkling Pinot Noir)
Or, travel south to the Southern Hemisphere:
- Lindauer - New Zealand
- Emeri Pink Moscato - Australia (lightly sweet)
- Trapiche - Argentina
- Pearly Bay 'Celebration' - South Africa (fully sweet)
- Sparkling Shiraz wines like Wyndham or Rumball
Go classic French:
- Champagne like Perrier Jouet or Taittinger (or, consider buying Cremant rather than Champagne - made with the same method, but comes from the Alsace region of France, and will cost you less than $25 a bottle)
- Pierre Sparr (from the Alsace region of France)
- Simonnet-Febvre (from the Burgundy region of France)
- Mousseux (a lesser quality sparkling wine that will cost less than $15)
- Bouvet or Charles de Fère
Buy Italian and say "Felice anno nuovo!":
- Italian Prosecco (with a hint of sweetness), like Nino Franco 'Rustico' or Cavit 'Lunetta' or La Marca
- Italian Brachetto (fully sweet and red), like Rosa Regale or Alasia or Zonin Baccorosa
Stay local and go with American sparkling wines:
- Mumm Napa [CA], Domaine Ste Michelle [WA], Gloria Ferrer [CA], Gruet [NM]
- Premium - Iron Horse, Schramsberg, Domaine Carneros (all from California)
From: Bring on the Bubbly! « Just Off The Red Streetcar Line | 12/30/10 at 6:16 am
[...] for the holidays. Sommelier Marnie Old made some very interesting suggestions and proffered this fantastic list of sparkling wines from all over the world that are both tasty and affordable (even if you have to [...]