Sparkling Wine with Victoria Cooksey

Summer has definitely arrived, and with it my thoughts turn to what else...bubbly!  Ok, my thoughts live there pretty much always, but who's telling? 

There are so many choices and price points from Champagne, Prosecco, Cava and more.  So which should you pick? 

My fav, true Champagne, is a high quality product which means smaller, longer lasting bubbles in the glass.  Champagne is made of a one, or a combination of three grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.    You will get yeast, bread, lemon notes and more, and talk about perfect with pizza. 

I'm completely in love with Jose Michel's Brut Pinot Meunier Champagne. (Pinot Meunier is also a grape used in Veuve Clicquot, so if you are a fan of that one try the Jose Michel, which is actually usually less expensive too, For example, here in Port Townsend, WA I pay $49 for the Jose Michel, but the Veuve is $64 - $68 here now). 

Cremants are another French sparkling wine that I pick up for everyday drinking since they are made in the same style as Champagne, but not from the actually region, which means the price tag is around $20 - $29, around half the price for Champagne.  These wines are allowed to be made from a much wider variety of grapes then Champagne, so one Cremant may taste much different from the next.

Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine that is made in a completely different style than Champagne.  In Champagne the second fermentation takes place in the bottle and that in turn produces the bubbles. In Prosecco, the second fermentation takes place in a tank (charmat method), and then it is bottled under pressure to make the bubbles, which are larger, and don't last as long in the glass.  Prosecco is made from the Glera grape, or often referred to as simply the Prosecco grape, so it taste completely different than Champagne or Cremants.  You will get notes of white honey, pear, lemon, and I've even tasted dill pickle in some.  The prices range from $8 to $29 depending on the quality level.  I typically buy them in the $10 - $15 range.

Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine made in the style of Champagne, but from different grapes: Parellada, Macabeo, and Xarel-lo. You will get notes of almond and green apple.  Cavas are a steal at often $8 - $15.

Lambrusco is another Italian sparkling wine that used to be just a basic, sweet, cheap wine, but now has some higher quality, more complex ones available.  This wine is more, fizzy (frizzante) with less bubble action then the others.  I've had ones that range from semi-sweet to tannic depending on the maker. The Lambrusco pictured below is an easy drinking one with notes of blackberry and dark plum, and just a touch of sweetness.  Look for prices around $13 and higher.

For those of you who like a bit of a sweet note in your bubbly the Treveri Gewürztraminer Demi-Sec from Washington State pictured below should fit the bill, and is perfect with more spicy foods, or buffalo chicken pizzas with hot sauce. 

Blanc de Blanc on a bottle means white wine made from white grapes, and Blanc de Noir is white wine made from red skinned grapes.  

Definitely serve all of these wines chilled. 

I hope this brief run down helps you decided which style of bubbly to reach for as the weather gets hotter this summer.  

Salute, Cheers, Happy Drinking!

Check out my video on how to open a bottle of sparkling wine:

How to open a bottle of sparkling wine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaoeJ6-Vgqk

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