New Year's Eve is when most folks get exposure to the world of sparkling wine. For many, the year goes by without even a thought to bubbles, but they are a great enhancement to any meal or occasion, especially a new year!
The French, of course, reserve the exclusive use of the name Champagne. It denotes an area and a method of production. Imitation, they, say is the highest form of flattery, thus the world is awash in quality sparkling wine. Sweet ones, frothy ones, red ones, white ones -- the styles are far-reaching and highly entertaining. Here are a few examples you might use this New Year's Eve.
Prosecco is Italy's answer to the question of sparkling wine. It seems to be everywhere these days. Light and lively, it carries tender white fruit and just the right amount of fizz. Try a bottle of Zardetto Brut Treviso. It's reasonably priced at about $18 and is extremely fresh and zesty. Pour heartily; they make lots of it and it's perfect for mimosas and bellinis.
Now, if you're brave, you can reach out a bottle of sparkling shiraz -- yep, fizzy red wine. The Australians resurrected this style years ago and seem to have a good handle on it. The Chook Sparkling Shiraz is available in our market. It's full-on shiraz with rich black fruit and mild tannin. The bubbles are persistent and the foam is red! Its sweetness of fruit matches up nicely with the bubble and fizz. It's a teeth-stainer for sure, but oh-so delightful. Costs about $20.
Before prosecco there was Spanish cava. This was everywhere in the '80s. It represented a value then and it still does today. Jume Serra Cristalino Brut is true Method Champenoise (bottle fermented), with light straw color and citrus fruits. This is great stuff when you need to buy in bulk or have pockets that are not that well-funded. The killer price point for it is $10.
To sweeten things up, try a German sparkling riesling. My current fave is Dr. L. Produced by Ernie Loosen, who interestingly enough consults for Chateau Ste. Michelle. This sekt (as sparkling wine is known in Germany) carries a beautiful light sweetness and crisp bubble. The carbonation cuts the rich riesling fruit and lightens the whole experience. It's quite delicious and takes a chill very well. Costs about $15.
We produce a number of excellent domestic sparkling wines and, no surprise, they are French-owned. At the top of the heap is Roederer, a fabulous Champagne producer. In France they make the very famous Cristal Brut, a vintage Champagne that is vibrant and pure with laser bright fruits, cream and toast. The complexity here is as good as it gets. This one will put a dent in your wallet, however, at about $250. In California, they have two houses: Sharffenberger and Roederer Estate. The Sharffenberger Brut Excellence is by far the best bang for the buck. Crisp, firm citrus fruits, lots of crunchy bubbles and a complexity that's hard to beat for $18. The Roederer Estate Brut is the bigger of the two. With more mouth-feel and better yeasty characteristics to the nose, it runs about $25.
The French term "brut" indicates dry wine. The best wines are reserved to make brut. To soften the hard acids and edgy bubbles, sparkling wines have wine sugar syrup added. If there's very little to no sugar syrup added, the wine is labeled "natural." Sticky sweet wines are labeled "doux." From dry to sweet, the terms "natural," "brut," "extra dry," "demi sec" and "doux" inform you how sweet your glass of bubbles will be. It's amusing that extra dry is sweeter than brut, but that's just the French selling to the English.
So ring in the new year with a bottle of bubbles, wherever in the world it's from! Cheers!
- Mike McVittie reviews wines available in Anchorage