The Bubbly Issue
Dearest subscribers,
Between my recent engagement and the dawn of a New Year, I’ve had a lot to celebrate since the last issue. As is the custom, I have toasted to these special occasions with loved ones and flutes full of sparkling wine or Champagne.
Now it’s mid-January and things are feeling a bit more ho-hum, if not outright glum. And, while I would never recommend alcohol as a remedy to the blues, (seriously, they never pair well) bubbly wines are surprisingly versatile with food -even the most uninspired weeknight meals- and they have a distinct way of sparking joy in otherwise ordinary occasions.
It’s important to remember, not all that sparkles is Champagne! Below are a few expert tips to help you better understand what’s in your bottle of bubbly:
Champagne only comes from Champagne, France and is traditionally a blend or what’s called a ‘coupage’ of three grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.
Blanc de Blancs is a term used to describe Champagne or sparkling wine which is made entirely of Chardonnay.
Blanc de Noirs by contrast is a blend of Pinots Noir and Meunier.
Rosé Champagne will often still have the same coupage of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. It will get its pink hue from extended contact with the grape skins.
Cava comes from Spain and is produced in the Traditional Method, where the secondary fermentation (which causes the bubbles to form) occurs in the bottle. This method is also often referred to as the Champagne Method or Méthode Champenoise even though referring to bottle-fermented wines produced outside of Champagne in this manner is technically not permitted.
Crémant is the term introduced as an alternative to Méthode Champenoise and is used to describe bottle-fermented sparkling wines produced in France, but outside of Champagne.
The Charmat or Tank Method in which the secondary fermentation takes place in a large, stainless steel vat is how Prosecco, which comes from Italy, is made.
Spumante refers to a lightly-sparkling Italian wine.
Brut means dry but the absence of the term does not mean the wine will be sweet.
Reserve is not a regulated term. It can be used to differentiate between different bottlings from the same winery, but as a term of distinction, it is essentially meaningless.
Zero dosage: Dosage aka liqueur d'expedition is a mixture of wine and sugar added back to a bottle of sparkling wine to essentially ‘top it off’ after the wine has been disgorged. Zero dosage means this very customary technique was not employed.
Disgorgement is a technique used in sparkling wine production whereby the dead yeast cells and other sediment is removed by freezing it in the bottleneck, loosening the crown closure, and letting what essentially has become a frozen plug of particulate matter, ‘pop’ out of the bottle before re-sealing the bottle with a cork and muselet, aka a wire cage.
Origin: California & New Mexico, USA
Vintage: NV
Sparkling Method: Traditional Method, aka Champagne Method, aka Méthode Champenoise
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Style: Dry, full, round
Price: $28.95
Alc./vol: 12%
Pair with: Kale and quinoa salad with crisp apple, walnuts and goat cheese
American sparkling wine done in the classic Champagne style. Less haute couture and more Rive Gauche, there is an everyday elegance and savoir-faire to this wine analogous for me of Yves Saint Laurent’s famed ready-to-wear line of this name.
Indeed, the Gruet Family had established roots in French winemaking with their Champagne house Gruet et Fils before setting up shop in Engle, New Mexico. Innovation, I think, is rarely accidental. More often it’s born of deep knowledge and understanding, and, certainly, a willingness to experiment, to push limits, challenge what’s expected. Just think of it, having the vision, the know-how, and the sheer moxy to set out to produce sparkling wine in New Mexico in the 1980s!
A favourite among this lineup not least for having the most audible and persistent bubble, this wine leads with an intensely rich, decadent note of fresh, buttery bread. Bone-dry and youthful, it moves through to orchard fruits - yellow apple and Bosc pear.
Weighty with great length, this wine is a perfect, if unlikely stand-in for Champagne.
Origin: Penedès, Spain
Classification: Penedès DO
Sparkling Method: Traditional Method
Vintage: NV
Grape(s): Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada
Style: Dry, fresh, fruity
Price: $15.95
Alc./vol: 12.5%
Pair with: Eggs Florentine
Underrated and often overlooked when celebrating life’s most precious moments, it’s impossible to understate Cava’s charm in the simpler, quiter, everyday moments that call for a little bubbly.
Sunday brunch? Cava! Girls night-in? Cava! Treating yourself to a “Champagne” float? Cava!
I was reminded over the holidays just how much I love a mimosa. And while this bottle would be perfectly lovely straight-up alongside lunch and dinner menu items or served as an aperitif, I must say, I’ll always prefer it with just a splash of orange juice as an accompaniment to scrambled eggs on toast topped with a few salty capers.
Dry, with short-lived bubbles and top notes that include apple, lemon, and toast. A terrific wine for boozy brunches and all manner of sparkling wine cocktails.
Origin: Champagne, France
Classification: Champagne AOC
Sparkling Method: Champagne Method
Vintage: NV
Grape(s): Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay
Style: Dry, fresh, juicy
Price: $85.95
Alc./vol: 12%
Pair with: A margherita pizza
Why, not? Am I right? It’s January, COVID’s still a thing, we’re in lockdown. Pour a glass, and ask yourself, can I get a hell yeah! for homeschooling these kids while holding down a full-time job? Can I get a hell yeah! for parenting in general in a lockdown situation? Can I get a hell yeah! for getting a workout in today in spite of the fact that my gym is also my office, bedroom, and living room? Or, how about a hell yeah for staying positive for those around me? Hell yeah you can!
Pale ruby in colour with a joyful fizz. This wine is racy, juicy, and bursting with berry flavours and aromas including strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant. Notes of rosewater, a touch of pepper and a slight herbaceousness give it further dimension and the backbone to stand up to more than just fruit cocktails and soft white cheeses. Looking for something a little more elevated than pizza? Consider pairing with a niçoise salad, beef or tuna tartar, beef carpaccio, cacio e pepe, or salty fingerling potatoes with a traditional aioli for dipping.
Origin: Friuli–Venezia Giulia, Italy
Sparkling Method: Charmat Method
Vintage: NV
Grape(s): Pinot Nero
Style: Dry, clean, fresh
Price: $17.95
Alc./vol: 12%
Pair with: A savoury salami chopped salad
This neat little semi-sparkler was inspired by the Italian table and the idea of always making time to enjoy life. Ah! How abundant life’s pleasures seem when we surround ourselves with good people, food, and wine.
Crafted by Master Sommelier and Chef duo- Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Patterson, this bottle was too neat for me to pass up. This rosé is produced in what they’re calling the ‘Metodo Italiano’, but which is otherwise known as the Charmat Method and is made exclusively from Pinot Nero which is otherwise known as Pinot Noir.
Wild strawberries, fresh cherry and herbs dominate on the nose. Fun, fresh and fruity this is as easy-going as it gets while still maintaining the seriousness one would expect from a wine developed by a sommelier and a chef.
I spotted this bottle just a few days ago and I can’t tell for sure if it’s not yet been officially added to the LCBO system or, if it has sold out. I’ll share an update on Instagram once I can confirm. Until then, follow the link in this review’s title for more information on this and other wines from Scarpetta.
Origin: Burgundy, France
Classification: AOC Crémant de Bourgogne
Sparkling Method: Traditional Method, Crémant
Vintage: NV
Grape(s): Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay, Aligoté
Style: Dry, fresh, citrusy
Price: $19.95
Alc./vol: 12%
Pair with: A toasted tuna sandwich with a slice of aged white cheddar
Lively and fresh with tingly, buoyant bubbles that at once cleanse and quench the palate, this elegant wine from Bailly Lapierre is among my favorite discoveries of late.
Clean, mineral, and fruity with top notes of lemon pith, lime zest, and crisp green apple rounded out with toasty, leesy notes on the finish.
An expert, hand-harvested blend of the region’s four grape varieties gives this wine its structure, body, and plush, round mouthfeel.
Lovely and not completely effortless with its bougie label, at under $20 I couldn’t recommend this more for when you want to add a little sparkle to a casual, wearing-sweats-and-eating-dinner-in front-of-the-TV kind of night-in.
As I look forward to what promises to be one of the most joyful and exciting years of my life, I can’t help but be mindful that life isn’t always so perfect. It’s common to feel down this time of year and I’ve certainly had January’s where I’ve looked to the future with uncertainty, trepidation, and fatigue. If you’re feeling down, know that you’re not alone. And, more than any wine, I’d recommend calling or visiting a friend to be reminded of that.
2021 is going to be great. Promise!
