I do love a fizzy wine as it invariably lifts your mood and improves your day. Far too many of us save the bubbles just for special occasions which I think is a real shame. Why not just treat yourself to a nice bottle this weekend.
There’s a lot of sparkling choice on the shelves in your local wine emporium, so how do you start the selection process? Style, country of origin and price are all important factors to be considered.
In terms of style, do you like dry (brut) or less dry (demi sec)? And do you like lots of bubbles (a persistent mousse) or fewer bubbles (a lazy mousse)? In Italy the wines are often labelled spumante or frizzante. Spumante is fizzier. Most Italian fizzy wines (such as Prosecco) use the tank method of production which results in a lighter fizz in your glass. There are a few exceptional producers such as Ferrari and Michele Chiarlo who make wonderful Italian fizzy wines using the traditional method of creating the secondary fermentation in the bottle. This technique is also famously used in Champagne, Cava and the south coast of England. Outside of central Europe, you’ll also find sparkling wines made using both of these techniques, although the traditional method is more common.
And then we come to price. Champagne prices are on the rise, so a lot of your favourite bottles will now be a few quid more than they were two or three years ago. I would suggest having your budget in mind before you browse and try not to deviate too much. If in doubt, ask your friendly wine merchant for a recommendation as they will doubtless have tried everything.
If you fancy a Champagne, but you’re on a Prosecco budget, you have two decent options.
Firstly, you could consider a half bottle of Champagne. This will give you two glasses plus top-ups, and it’s a lovely way to start the evening. Nicolas Maillart Premier Cru Brut Champagne (Inverarity One to One, £12.99 half bottle).
The second option is to seek out a Cremant d’Alsace. This is a sparkling wine from Alsace usually made from Pinot Blanc grapes. Alsace is almost as far north as Champagne, but it’s drier and warmer and the grapes ripen better. It’s in the style of Champagne, but it’s half the price. This makes it massively popular in France, where the locals consume 90% of the total production. Sadly, this means we don’t see too much of it over here. So you should definitely grab a couple of bottles of the Gustave Lorentz Cremant d’Alsace Brut (Inverarity One to One, £14.49) the next time you’re passing. Cheers!
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