Sparkling wines are often associated with celebrations, and in the spirit of the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, we decided to sample several styles of sparkling wines from different wine regions.
There are fewer things more pleasurable than a vortex of minuscule bubbles (referred to as perlage or bead) dancing on your tongue. This effervescence of carbon dioxide bubbles is produced during the wine’s fermentation. Champagne is made from a blend of three grape varieties: two red-skinned (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) and one white (Chardonnay). The resultant wine, though, is straw yellow because the skins from the two red varieties are removed during the initial processing.
While there are more affordable sparkling wines in the market, those made in Champagne are the ones that impress most, and the finest fruit and best winemaking traditions are reserved for these wines. Only wines from this French region can carry the name – and note the capital ‘C’!
While most people drink sparkling wines as an aperitif, they can also be paired nicely with many foods, as well. For food science nerds, the average pH of Champagne is between 2.9 and 3.3, making it quite acidic. This acidity, primarily from tartaric and malic acids, is one of Champagne’s defining characteristics, contributing to its refreshing crispness and ability to pair well with a wide range of dishes.
Champagne’s high acidity allows it to complement foods with similar acidity, such as dishes featuring tomatoes, vinaigrettes, or citrus. In particular, foods like seafood with a squeeze of lemon, goat cheese, and tangy dishes often pair beautifully with Champagne. The wine’s acidity cuts through richness and balances flavours without clashing with other acidic elements, making it a versatile option for high-acid foods. This acidic profile also makes Champagne suitable for cutting through fatty and fried foods, where its refreshing nature provides a contrast to richer textures.
Champagne and most sparkling wines are initially fermented in steel tanks to enable the natural grape yeasts to transform the grape sugar into ethanol. It is permissible to add a little sugar if the grape sugar content is too low. The still wine produced is then bottled, and new yeasts are introduced to generate carbon dioxide during a secondary fermentation. This winemaking technique is known as Méthode Champenoise. Most Champagne wines are white; however, Rosé sparkling wines are also produced. The best serving temperature for sparkling wines is between 6 and 10°C and the bottle should be stored in an ice bucket. Tall wine flutes are the best glasses for retaining the bubbles in sparkling wines. Here are four sparkling styles guaranteed to enliven your next celebration.
Nicolas Feuillatte Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs
Rather than traditional Champagne, we thought it might be fun to sample a variation on the theme. Blanc de Blanc (white from white) is a Champagne wine produced entirely from Chardonnay grapes. Blanc de Noirs (white from red grapes) is for wines made from Pinot grapes. This Blanc de Noirs Champagne is made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes selected in Grand Cru villages in the Montagne de Reims part of Champagne. It draws its character from the soils, gaining balance and freshness from the gentle slopes of Verzy in the north of the region and delicate spice, body, and minerality from the chalk-based soils on the southern slopes of Bouzy. The wine unfolds with promising aromas to reveal a dry style with fresh flavours brimming with finesse.
Producer: Nicolas Feuillatte
Region: Champagne
Vintage: 2014 Grape
Varieties: Pinot Noir
Alcohol Content: 12%
Closure: Cork
Price: RM550
Dominique Portet NV Brut Rosé
Sparkling Rosé is produced when a black-skinned grape variety or varieties, remain in contact with the grape juice for a short time to make it visually appealing with a pink hue. We are attracted to this wine as ninth-generation winemaker Frenchman Dominique Portet knows a thing or two about sparkling wines. Portet was attracted to the Yarra Valley along with the distinguished French Champagne house Möet du Chandon, whose Domaine Chandon is a neighbour of Portet’s cool-climate winery. ‘NV’ means non-vintage, indicating that this wine is made from grapes sourced from different growing years, not one year. After fermentation, the wine was then aged for two years in the estate’s cool, temperature-controlled cellars. The result is an alluring salmon-pink colour with aromas of rose petals, lemon and strawberries. It has yeast and vibrant red fruits on the palate with a clean, fresh, and zesty finish.
Producer: Dominique Portet
Region: Yarra Valley
Vintage: N/A
Grape Varieties:Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%)
Alcohol Content: 13%
Closure: Cork
Price: RM288
Banfi Tener
This unique Italian blend combines the two popular white grape varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to give an aromatic nose and fruity finish. This flows through to the palate to ensure it will be most agreeable to those who appreciate the flavours exhibited in most Sauvignon Blanc wines. Two important words for those trying to understand Italian wines are spumante (meaning sparkling) and brut (dry or unsweetened). This wine, produced in Piedmonte, is of a pale straw yellow colour and has a fine and persistent perlage. Its fragrant bouquet is characterised by the scent of ripe peaches, and it exhibits softness on the palate with balanced acidity. This wine also looks impressive with its distinctive bottle shape. The wine pairs well with cold cuts, fresh cheeses, white meats, fish, shellfish, and pasta dishes.
Producer: Banfi
Region: Piedmonte
Vintage: N/A
Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc (50%) and Chardonnay (50%)
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Closure: Cork
Price: RM224
Marqués de Cáceres Cava Brut
Cava is Spain’s answer to Champagne. It is mostly produced in Cataluña, near Barcelona, by the traditional method using three local grape varieties: Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo. This Marqués de Cáceres sparkling wine is made in the Penedès region, just to the west of Barcelona. Chardonnay is gaining popularity in some Cava blends, but purists claim that this is diluting the classic local formula. Like Prosecco, Cava is produced in the same way as Champagne (made in the bottle) but is more affordable than many other sparkling wines. As such, it presents great value for those who want to celebrate on a budget. Marqués de Cáceres Cava Brut, with its apple freshness and lemon acidity, is perfect with seafood and more delicately flavoured Asian dishes, especially dishes from Vietnam.
Producer: Marqués de Cáceres
Region: Penedès
Vintage: N/A
Grape Varieties: Xarel-lo (50%), Macabeo (30%), and Parellada (20%)
Alcohol Content: 11.5%
Price: RM206
