ABC---Anything But Champagne

                          Why not step out of the box and try some other terrific sparkling wines?

The holidaze are around the corner and in our house that means lots of bubbly.  We like to keep a variety of sparkling wine from around the world in our cellar for many reasons.  First and foremost, it’s all about quality-price ratio.  Most of the Champagnes we like are $50 - $100 per bottle.  There are a plethora of well-crafted sparklers out there for considerably less.  Second, the quality of the bubbles discussed below will surprise you.

The first bubbly may shock you.  It’s from England.  Nyetimber's sparkling wine sent shock waves throughout the wine world when it beat out many Champagnes in blind tastings.  (Remember, that Southern England is roughly the same latitude as the Champagne district).   Nyetimber (from West Sussex) even beat out fancy Grand Crus such as Billecart Salmon, which is one of my perennial faves. $50

The second sparkler is French.  It can’t be called Champagne as it is not produced in the Champagne district.   But, it is produced just across the border in Burgundy.  Cremant de Bourgogne is a good alternative for >50% less.  Try Domaine Charles Bauer for one of the best renditions.  $30

Having recently returned from Spain, I am smitten with Cava.  This sparkler is produced in the same labor-intensive matter as Champagne, must strict E.U. laws dictate that nothing on its label references Champagne.  We had some killer bottles of Cava that could wreak havoc on its French counterpart in a blind tasting.  Try Castell d’Age Aurelia Gran Reserva, a steal for $20.

If you want a knock-your-socks off bubbly that could seriously compete with the real deal Champagnes (and are willing to pay for it) then look no further than Italy’s Franciacorta wine district near Verona.  Ca Del Bosco produces earth-shaking sparkling wines in the $50-$80 range.  Ferghettina (from the same area) is also a jewel that shouldn’t be missed (and I love the shape of their bottle).  $40-50

Moving a little closer to home, the next bubbly is American….but it’s from a state that may shock you:  New Mexico!  No, I’ve not lost my mind.  This Champagne knock-off has also won lots of awards and would warrant a spot in an “ABC Blind Tasting.”  Gruet is the producer.  $30

Last, but not least, California’s Roederer is also one of my favorites.  Owned by a French Champagne producer, this American cousin is a terrific buy.  There's more good news...it's readily available.  $20

Maybe an ABC tasting might be a fun way to celebrate the holidays?   Have fun learning your alphabet!

Preserving Bubbles...the Low-Tech Way

I would not have believed it unless I had tried it.  Last month I rented a home in Carmel and opened bottles of bubbly one evening for a party.  While the house was very well equipped for wine-related entertaining (lovely stemware, foil cutter & well-made openers), it did not have a stopper for sparkling wine.  At the end of the night one of my in-the-know guests heard me lamenting that the bubbles would be gone the next day and offered the following:  “Stick a spoon in it.”  I thought I had mis-heard, but she proceeded to drop a spoon (handle down through the bottle’s neck) and placed it in the frig.

The next day I was sure the spoon trick had failed.  After all, I’m in the wine business and surely I would have heard of such a low-tech solution years ago if it actually worked.  The bubbles were still there 18 hours later. How could this be?  Two days later I was explaining the phenomena to another overnight guest.  (I think she thought the bubbles had gone to my head).  So, I replicated the spoon experiment, this time with a French bubbly.  Next day, the effervescence was still there.  Now, I’m a true believer, as are the several friends who sampled the spooned wine the following day.

How could this possibly be?  In searching the Internet, there’s a host of information about the spoon trick in preserving bubbles, including interesting evidence from researchers at Stanford University.  The Stanford scientists found that capping a bottle of sparkling wine actually decreases the number of bubbles and found the spoon to actually be more effective than a special Champagne closure.  There is also supposition that the key is refrigeration, not the spoon.  Some experiments indicate that refrigerating the bottle with or without a spoon is equally effective.

While you may not be willing to gamble with your finest vintage Champagne, try it, you’ll like it!