Great Sparkling Wines for a Great Value

If you are a follower of mine, you may have read my recent post on Champagne. As a wine professional and lover, I feel the need to cover all ranges of wines in quality, name recognition, and price. In my experience, you don't need to spend a great deal of money to get a great sparkling wine. There are many bargains to be had. They can be made in the traditional white or rosé, both sweet and dry. Sparkling wines that are not made in the Champagne region of France cannot be called Champagne. That being said, almost every country has a region that makes sparkling wines. As I go through some of the major sparklers of the world, I think you will find at least one that you would enjoy. Are you ready to explore? Let's get on with it!

FRENCH CRÉMANTS

A Crémant is actually a style of sparkling wine. They have a softer bubble. Basically, they are bottled under less pressure than many sparkling wines. They just tend to be a little more feminine in style. They are made "methóde Champenoise" (pronounced me-toad sham-pen-waas), or it's also called the traditional method (and much easier to say!). This means that they are made in the same manner that true Champagne is. Crémants can come from seven regions in France. Some of them are Burgundy, Savoie, Limoux, and the most productive of them all, Alsace. Alsace is a tiny Region on the German and Switzerland border, in Northeastern France, but it accounts for over 50% of total Crémant production. They can be made from several different varietals (grapes), including Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, as well as the traditional Champagne varietals. Most Crémants can be purchased for less than $25 USD, and are a great value compared to true Champagne.

SPANISH CAVA

The Spanish have a a couple bubbly wines, but the most popular is Cava. Cava is mainly made in Catalonia, in Northeastern Spain. Much like Crémants, is also made méthode Champenoise, but more bubbly. It is very close to drinking true Chamagne, but on the cheap!! Traditionally, it is made from three grapes; Macabeu, Xarelo-lo (pronounced share-ello), and Parallada. It can also have Chardonnay, Garnacha, Pinot Noir, and Monastrell. Cava tends to be dry, and quite bubbly! It is also can be made into a rosé, by blending in a little red wine, prior to the secondary fermentation in the bottle. One thing I tell my customers, is that Cava is the best bubbles for Mimosas. It can be had for less than $10 on the cheap side, and usually no more than $20 USD. There are also true vintage Cavas, that come from one specific year. This is the good stuff!!

ITALIAN PROSECCO

Prosecco, it's literally all the rage now!! It hails from Veneto, in Northeast Italy. The traditional grape is Glera, which is actually a Slovenian grape. Prosecco is not made in the traditional method. Instead it is made in the "Charmat" method. Basically, instead of doing the second fermentation in the bottle, they do it in a large tank. After the secondary fermentation is finished, they fill the bottles with the bubbly wine. Prosecco tends to be a touch sweeter than Cava or Crémant, but it's not candy sweet by any means. The bubbles are very light and smooth. It is also the main ingredient in billinis! This is the perfect sitting by the pool sparkling wine. You can get good entry level Prosecco for $8-10, and most will cost under $20 USD.

AMERICAN SPARKLING WINE

No fancy name, it just says what it is. haha!! California is king in the USA for sparkling wines, although Washington State, Oregon, and even New York have great producers. These are primarily made In the traditional method, and are generally delicious. In California, most use the traditional Champagne grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and a few are even using Pinot Meunier. They range in price, with some costing as much as true Vintage Champagnes, but start around $12-15 for a good quality wine. There are even a couple of Champagne houses that have opened US sparkling houses. These are great when you want something very similar to Champagne.

I hope that you have learned a little more about sparkling wines than you already knew. Did you see one that you want to try, or do you already have a favorite? Drop a comment below and let me know what you are drinking! Also, here is a link to my post about Champagne, if you haven't had a chance to read it yet. Lots of great information there!!

https://steemit.com/food/@thewineman/champagne-a-glass-of-elegance

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