Pink Bubbles for the Holidays

Pinot Noir is responsible for the color of Rosé Champagne

There’s something about the holidays that screams bubbly.   And, I’m all about making the month of December colorful so I’ve chosen my five favorite pink bubbles.  They are all French and all five are made from Pinot Noir grapes (thus the pale pink color caused by a short contact with Pinot’s red skins).   

Four of the five are Champagnes (only sparkling wine made in the region of Champagne can legally be called Champagne.)  The fifth one, called Cremant in lieu of Champagne), is made just across the border in France’s Burgundy which is contiguous with Champagne.  The Cremant is a crazy steal, two are in the moderate price range for Champagne, the other two are about 80 bucks but represent terrific quality even for this upper range.   All are non- vintage.

Listed in order of ascending price:

JCB “69” Cremant.  We were served this “sparkling wine” recently in the home of two bon vivants in the wine business.  It was superb.  When I was told the price ($9.99 at Costco), we went out immediately and purchased a case.

Ployez-Jacquemart Rosé:  We always take our Wine-Knows groups to this family-owned boutique producer in the Champagne countryside just outside of Reims.  I can’t think of another Champagne house that produces such a terrific value.  $45 online.  

 

Paul Bara Brut Rosé:  Consistently ranked with an outstanding quality price ratio by many international critics, this one is a perennial favorite of ours.  Available at good wine shops and online at $60 Wine.com  

 

Mouton Rothschild Rosé:   Mouton Rothchild  is famous for its Bordeaux, however, its Champagne (made, of course, in Champagne) is a knockout.  $75 at various online stores.  Thanks, Carrol & Steve, for this winning introduction.

 

Billecart Salmon Rosé:   I was gifted this wine >30 years ago for my birthday and still remember my first sip.  The bottle’s shape is seductive, but it’s the contents of the bottle that will completely seduce you.   BevMo which offers it for $79.99.

 

Have a bubbly holiday season....

 

 

 

Yule Love these 7 Bubblies for the Holidaze

       Representing 4 countries & ranging from $85-20, these bubbles are guaranteed winners

The holidays aren’t the holidaze without sparkling wine.  Below is my fave list for non-vintage bubbles.  There’s the real-deal Champagne, but there’s also a super-duper sparkling wine from Burgundy at half the price.  The wines are listed alphabetically by country.  One of my personal favorites is a bubbly from Italy’s premier sparkling wine district, Franciacorta.  England is also on the list…don’t laugh as British fizz has beat out some of the most respected French Champagnes in many blind tastings.  Last, there’s an American bubbly that I particularly enjoy.  All but one are under $55, and three are $25 or less.

ENGLAND 

          ~ Wiston Estate Brut:  this one has won more medals than any other English fizz.  $40

FRANCE

          ~ Billecart Salmon Champagne:  this one has been a long-standing winner in my book.   $85

~ Gosset Champagne:  Consistently well-made wine and a cut above the others in the over $50 category.  $55

~  Ployez Jacquemart Chamapagne:  one of the best price/quality I know of.  Difficult to find, but worth seeking out.  $50

          ~  Veuve Ambal Brut Cremant Grande Cuvee:  Made in Burgundy (which is contiguous with the Champagne district), Cremant is the legal term for any sparkler from Burgundy.   $20

ITALY

          

          ~  Ferghettina:  This winery’s vintage sparkling wines are the bomb, but this list is only about non-vintage.  Located in the lake district of northern Italy, Ferghettina’s non-vintage is an absolute delight. $40

USA: 

          

          ~  Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley:  this one is a perennial winner in my book and a great value.  $25

Enjoy the Holidaze with one of these bubblies. 

A White Christmas…with a White Burgundy

The Burgundy region of France is home to some of the most hedonistic wines on planet earth.  White Burgundies (as well as Red Burgundies) have long had a cult following.   As Burgundy produces only 2% of France’s total wine, the old adage of supply and demand can really wreak havoc on Burgundian prices.  If there’s one day during the year, however, that people should pull out their White Burgundy gems, it's Christmas.

White Burgundy is made exclusively from the Chardonnay grape.  Chardonnay actually originated in Burgundy.  DNA testing shows that Chardonnay is a mix between Pinot Noir (Burgundy’s red grape) and Gouais Blanc.  Somewhere, somehow, Pinot and Gouais crossed in the vineyard and Chardonnay was born as  their offspring.

Many wine connoisseurs believe that Burgundy’s whites are the pinnacle of any Chardonnay on the globe.  One author in a recent article went so far as to call Burgundian white as the “crack cocaine of all Chardonnay.”   While the analogy may be a turn-off, the point is well-taken in that white Burgundy can be addictive.   Once you’ve had it, you crave more.

So what makes Burgundy’s Chardonnay so very special?   It can be summed up in one word:  terroir.  While there is no literally translation for this French word, terroir refers to the many factors that can effect a wine (e.g. climate, topography, and soil). Burgundy’s mineral-laden soils exert a tremendous effect.  White Burgundies are known for their minerality, in the aromas as well as on the palate.

The best vineyards in all of Burgundy were mapped out centuries ago by monks who learned by trial and error which plots of consistently earth produced the best  Chardonnays for the church’s cellar.  Today, these very vineyards have been given Grand Cru status by the French government.  It’s these Grand Crus that have the real cult-following.  And, it’s your Grand Crus that should be brought out for a celebration such as Christmas dinner.

Here are five Grand Cru Burgundies that ought to knock off both Santa’s and Rudolph’s socks (listed in alpha order):

     ~ Comtes Lafon, Montrachet Grand Cru
     ~ Drouhin, Clos des Mouches Grand Cru
     ~ Louis Jadot, Les Demoiselles Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
     ~ Olivier Leflaive, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
     ~ William Fevre, Valmur Chablis Grand Cru

If you have a desire to learn more about Burgundy’s Grand Cru Chardonnays, check out Wine-Knows 2019 trip to both Burgundy & Champagne:   www.WineKnowsTravel.com.

Have a white and a very Merry Christmas.