Summer’s heat is just starting and already you feel the need for a pick me up? How about a little Champagne? Some say favorite sparkling wines should be saved for special events, but isn’t every day some sort of occasion?
So, everyday is a day for Champagne. Tiny bubbles in a glass tickling your nose, bringing a smile, a giggle, a laugh. What could be better? Follow the jump for sparkling ideas.
Consider Mumm Napa, their Brut Rosé is filled with ripe Pinot Noir fruit, rich with black cherry and strawberry. A previous gold winning sparkling wine at the Dallas Morning News wine competition, this bubbly delivers with elegance and structural consistency. Their signature cuvée, Brut Prestige, is versatile, crisp and balanced. Flavors of melon, spice and vanilla linger on the palate after each sip. Both usually average around $20-$25 each.
For the true Champagne lover (those who only drink French) there is a champagne that defines sophistication, Moet and Chandon Rose Imperial. This creamy, fruit forward, chic champagne rich with red summer berries, roses and a hint of pepper delivers both beauty in the glass, and intense flavors on the palate. This isn’t a Brut, so it is filled with ripe, fruit forward undertones, creating a refreshing and welcoming bubbly in a world where Brut is often king, and Champagne is expensive. Thankfully this will only run you about $35-$40 a bottle. If you must have it dry, Moet and Chandon Imperial is a classic Champagne (formerly known as White Star) with concentrated expressions of bright Pinot Noir and soft Pinot Meunier.
If you love bubbly and need to save a few dollars….check out an Italian Prosecco or a Spanish Cava. Both have all the nuances of a classic Champagne, without the price point. Prosecco, from the Veneto Region of Italy (also where great Soave and Amarone are born) is a crisp sparkling white wine with a slightly tart aftertaste, and often best used in making Bellini’s, but Prosecco can stand just as well on its own. Nino Franco and Zardetto are two widely distributed Proseccos that average about $10-$20 in price.
Spanish Cava’s are an excellent buy for the quality. Most Cava’s are made in a traditional Champagne method, where secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle that you are buying. Made from the local grapes of Northwest Spain it isn’t the same toasty, stone fruit or melon flavors that you may find in French or Californian sparklers, but for the price point of around $10 they can usually please any palate. Freixenet is the world’s largest-selling sparkling wine brand.
