Top Ten Bubblies To Ring In The New Year

This year's resolution: I vow to quit drinking. I know it sounds crazy, but I figure if I pick one I know I'll break right away, I don't have to deprive myself of something for a month only to end up failing anyway. And whether it's Cava, Prosecco, or Champagne, sparkling wine is the ultimate symbol of celebration. It's the beverage of choice for ringing in the new year, and in my case, for breaking the new year's resolution. Some of you may splurge on a special bottle, others enjoy the excitement of hunting for an inexpensive treasure. These ten are some of my favorites from a variety of price points, styles, and regions.

1. Veuve Clicquot - 'Yellow Label' Brut - Champagne, France NV - $45

Sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France is the quintessential symbol of celebration. The wines of this region show depth, complexity, and more importantly, carry with them a level of prestige. With this bottle you definitely pay for the "Nike Swoosh," but it's still a delightful Champagne for the price. Quick history: The Veuve Clicquot Champagne house was run by the famous Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin-Clicquot, who revolutionized the industry with techniques like riddling (remuage), the process of getting sediment into the neck of the bottle. Her innovative marketing techniques and attention to detail made her wines an international symbol of quality and celebration. Today the Champagne house is owned by the luxury brand company Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey, whose portfolio consists of big name Champagne brands like Moet & Chandon, Mercier, Ruinart, and Krug.

This wine is a non-vintage, which means it is a blend of several years' grape harvests. Non-vintage is the very essence of Champagne. While vintage Champagnes show us what a producer can do with good quality grapes in ideal conditions, the non-vintage Champagnes showcase the house's style and reputation. It's their calling card if you would. This wine is made from all three of the principal grape varieties of Champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Brut on the label indicates this wine is dry, with 15 grams of sugar per liter or less. The Yellow Label is the most accessible of all of the Clicquot line, available in most retail locations. What I love about the 'Yellow Label' is its finesse. This wine is racy, with bright fruit flavors and a wonderful yeast component.

If you've ever wondered what makes Champagne so much more expensive than, say, Cava or Prosecco, consider these three factors: The labor-intensive traditional method of production in Champagne, branding - the Nike Swoosh, if you will, and the amazing flavors and aromas that, as a result of the traditional method, are unique to Champagne. If you're looking for something special for this year's countdown, try Veuve's luxury brand, the Grande Dame, from a spectacular vintage like 1990 or 1996. But be aware, you will pay upwards of $150.

2. Nicolas Feuillatte - Brut Rosé - Champagne, France NV - $48

Nicolas Feuillatte, or Nicky Foo as many call it, is a value-packed Champagne producer. The house started production in 1976, and today they sell more than 9 million bottles annually. Their flashy style and youthful approach to marketing helped them quickly become one of the top five Champagne producers in the region.

Like Veuve Clicquot, this wine is both non-vintage and brut. But what separates this from the widow is its pink color. This particular rosé gets its color from blending white and red wine together. This bad boy is loaded with spicy aromas and berries on the palate. Its silky texture, great flavor, and long finish landed it a spot on this week's top ten list. The same producer also makes a non-rosé non-vintage brut that is definitely worth trying if you get a chance.

3. Domaine des Baumard - 'Carte Turquoise' Brut - Cremant de Loire, France NV - $19

Also French, this next top-tenner is a great bang for the buck. What separates this bubbly from the Nicky Foo or Veuve Clicquot is where it comes from and the grapes that used to make it. Cremant de Loire is a sparkling wine made using the same method used in Champagne, the traditional method. It comes from the Loire region of France located just south and west of Paris, or more importantly, Champagne. The grape used to make this wine is Chenin Blanc, a principal white varietal in the Loire. This value-packed bubbly displays aromas of green apple and nuts, with a creamy texture and bright acidity. A great alternative to Champagne for a fraction of the price.

4. La Marca - Extra Dry - Prosecco DOCG - Veneto, Italy NV - $12

Looking for something a little less traditional that won't break the bank? Then the La Marca is perfect for you. This wine comes from the Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene sub-region in the greater Veneto region in northeastern Italy. It has this ridiculously long, and hard to pronounce, name because the grapes are grown near the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. The grape used to make the wine is Glera, formerly known as Prosecco. Unlike Champagne or Cremant de Loire, this wine is made using the tank method, not the traditional method. This means that the wine is produced in a big tank and then sent under pressure into the bottles rather than being fermented in the bottle itself.

This wine could be one of my favorite summer sparklers. Its light and fresh, showcasing aromas of green apple, lemon, and grapefruit. The palate is refreshing, making it incredibly approachable. The term 'Extra Dry' on the label indicates that this wine has just a touch of sugar, making it more off-dry than dry. One would assume extra dry would have less sugar than say brut, but this isn't the case. This is because the term Brut on a label traditionally indicated that the wine was meant for the Brits, who like it very dry. Extra Dry was the style sent to the Americans, who claimed they liked it dry, but really liked a touch of sweetness in their wines. And now you know the rest of the story.

5. Nivole by Michele Chiarlo - Moscato d' Asti DOCG - Piedmont, Italy 2009 - $15 (375 ml)

Also in Italy is the Asti sub-region of Piedmont, well known for producing delicious bubblies from the Moscato (Muscat) grape. This one is sure to entertain the masses. With its candied nose, filled with citrus and green apple aromas, this wine is perfect for any of your non-wine drinking guests. But the best part is it's delicious, so you'll love it too. What I like about this wine is its sugar content. It's not sickeningly sweet or syrupy like you may have experienced with other Moscato d'Asti's. Instead the flavors are naturally sweet, like fresh strawberries versus concentrated strawberry juice. Like the La Marca, this wine is made using the tank method. If you are entertaining a lot of guests and don't know what to get, pick up the Michele Chiarlo. It's great little bottle that is sure to be a real crowd pleaser.

6. Bellavista - Brut Cuvee - Franciacorta DOCG - Lombardy, Italy NV - $42

This next bubbly is a treat for any wine geek. Franciacorta is a sub-region in the heart of Lombardy known for producing world-class sparkling wines using the traditional method. This wine is made from 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc). The problem with this Franciacorta is production; not how they do it, but how much they make. It's incredibly difficult to find these wines in common retail locations. They must be sought out, and when they are found, they must be purchased. Franciacorta, like Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene and Moscato d'Asti, is a DOCG, the highest quality wine tier according to the Italian wine laws. Once you taste this bubbly delight you will see it is NOTHING like Moscato d'Asti or Prosecco. Close your eyes and you could mistake this beauty for a high quality Champagne. It's dry, yeasty, creamy, and delicious. All other Italian DOCG's could learn a lot from Franciacorta.

7. Roederer Estate - Brut - Anderson Valley, California NV - $23

The Roederer Estate is owned by the infamous Louis Roederer of Champagne, the house that produces the ultra-popular luxury cuvee Cristal. They debuted their Roederer Estate Brut from California in 1988. Like Cristal, this wine is made using the traditional method, the same process used in Champagne, France. And sticking with tradition, Louis Roederer uses Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, two of the three principal varieties used in the production of Champagne. All of the fruit used to make this wine comes from the Anderson Valley, which is located in Mendocino County, just north of Napa and Sonoma. This area is cooler, similar to the climate of Champagne. Like the other non-vintage wines on this list, this dry domestic sparkler is made from a blend of several years' grape harvests. If you are looking for a great bubbly for the price, look no further than the Roederer Estate Brut from Anderson Valley in California. They also make an award winning rosé that is outstanding.

8. Argyle - Extended Triage - Willamette Valley, Oregon 2000 - $60

This next bubbly was one of the only domestic sparklers to make it on Wine Spectator's elite top 100 wine list. Anyone who knows me knows that no top ten sparkling wine list is complete without the Extended Triage by Argyle. Like the Roederer Estate, this wine is made using the traditional method and is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It comes from the prestigious Willamette Valley, a region noted for its premier growing conditions for world-class Pinot Noir. This winery was started by Rollin Soles, an American, and Australian native Brian Croser. With a focus on creating high-quality Pinot Noir and sparkling wines, these two took a dream and made it reality. This wine is loaded with ripe fruit aromas of pear and apple complete with a creamy, rich palate. This coupled with the fact that the winery practices eco-friendly winemaking techniques makes this wine a perfect for just about any top ten list!

9. Petaluma by Croser - Piccadilly Valley, Australia 2007 - $30

For our next wine on this week's list we head down under, but a familiar face is there to greet us. Petaluma is an Australian wine project by Brian Croser. That's right, one of the men behind the Argyle wines. This wine, like many of the others on the list, is made using the traditional method. And like the other traditional method wines on the list, this one is made from the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

In the Piccadilly Valley sub-region, located just outside of the city of Aidelaide, the vines grow in altitudes of 1300 to 2300 feet. This elevation provides ideal climate conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. If you are looking for a light, yet aromatic wine full of tropical fruit, like pineapple, and citrus fruit, like lime, then you came to the right place. This wine is dry with a crisp acidity that is sure to please just about any palate. Unlike most of the other wines on this list, the Petaluma by Croser is a vintage wine which means that all of the grapes come from the year stated on the bottle, in this case 2007. An OUTSTANDING sparkling wine from a world-class producer. Truly a must have when the clock strikes midnight!

10. Freixenet - 'Cordon Negro' Brut Cava - Spain NV - $12

Last but certainly not least is the Freixenet Cava from Spain. The Cordon Negro, often called the Black Bottle by Freixenet, is the number one imported sparkling wine in the world. Over 350,000 cases of this bubbly are exported to the United States alone each year. Like the Veuve Clicquot, Nicky Foo, Bellavista, Roederer Estate, Argyle, and Petaluma, this wine is made using the traditional method. But unlike the other traditional method production wines on this list, this one is made from the Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada grapes. These three native Spanish varietals are commonly used in the production of Cava. Much of the Cava produced in Spain comes from the Penedes region located in the northeast. So despite the fact that the label simply states the wine comes from Spain, I would venture a guess that the majority of the fruit is from the northeast. With its lively acidity and pear and apple characteristics, this wine is a value-packed alternative to traditional Champagne this New Year's Eve. Plus, it's really easy to find.

Each one of these sparkling wines will make for a great celebratory bottle on December 31st. I tried to incorporate a variety of regions, price points, and styles to showcase the versatility of sparkling wine. Be advised, many of the wines on this list are dry, so beware criticism from your old-school family members who's quintessential "champagne" is a bottle of Andre Spumante. And don't let them put cola in it. Just buy a backup box of Franzia if that's the case. Whatever you selected and whoever you choose to share it we at Cru hope you enjoy your celebration. From all of us here, have a safe and happy new year.

For more incredible wine picks and delicious pairings, check out Cru Wine Online. We pair original recipes with delectable wines, and bring them to you in an entertaining video short, complete with a brief explanation of the wine, the dish, and the pairing.

Sign up today for a 6 Month Membership and receive a FREE wine glass set, a $19.95 value. Life's short, so drink it up. At only $7.99/month you can't afford not to! Happy New Year.

Salut,

Nicholas Barth

Certified Sommelier

Wine Director

Cru Wine Online

Prosecco anyone? Or should I say Sparkling Glera?

On hot summer days I can think of few greater pleasures than a bottle of Prosecco and a book on the patio. With temperatures in Minnesota heating up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit this week, coupled with a humidity of 96% humidity, I'm thinking about just staying home. I won't even go outside, just open my window a crack and sit near it while reading In Search of Bacchus and drinking Prosecco. Or should I say Sparkling Glera?

Before I explain the Glera/Prosecco debacle we better break the wine world in to two categories: Old World and New World. Old World wine producing countries are basically classic European wine producing countries. France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Germany for example. New World wine producing countries are anywhere Old World countries sent prisoners or explorers. Australia, New Zealand, United States, Argentina, Chile are examples of New World countries.

Old World wine producing countries are more focused on site selection, or region, than they are on what grapes are used to make the wine. So commonly Old World wines display the region the grapes were grown in on the label. Chianti for example is a region in Tuscany, Italy where they grow grapes and make red blends using the Sangiovese variety as the base. Another example is Bordeaux, France, a region where they make red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a few others. In Burgundy, France they make red wines from Pinot Noir and whites from Chardonnay but simply label them as Burgundy or a more specific region or vineyard.

Champagne, Chablis, Vouvray, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Barolo, Amarone, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Tokaji are a few examples of popular wine producing regions in Europe that you may have seen on a bottle. Each of these regions uses different grapes to make wine. Sometimes it's a blend, other times it's a single variety (grape). Of course there are exceptions to the rules. Countries like Germany and Austria commonly put the grape on the label.

New World wine producing countries on the other hand are more focused on grape varieties. Not to say New World wine producers don't care about where they grow them, it's just that the region doesn't tell you what the wine's profile is like. For example if I said Napa what would you describe that wine as? Napa makes wines from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and many, many more. So it would be impossible to label a wine from Napa, California by its regional identity. This isn't just limited to California, all of the New World countries put the name of the grape or their proprietary name (ie. if it's a blend calling it "the red") on the label.

So why did you need to know Old World vs New World wines? Because the label is what scares a lot of people when purchasing. Are most people going to buy a $20 bottle of wine that says Cahors on the label? If they didn't know that Malbec is grape used to make it, probably not. But if people see Malbec on the label and they like big reds, they are more likely to purchase it. We know grape profiles better than we know regional profiles, especially if they are obscure. This has resulted in some Old World producers putting the grape names on the label.

Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene, more simply Prosecco, use to be the best of both worlds; it was the name of the grape and the region in the Veneto, Italy that produces sparkling wine. It was easy to sell Prosecco because you could simply tell the consumer just that "Prosecco is the name of the grape AND the region." There was no more grape/region confusion. But in 2009 the Prosecco region was promoted to the highest Italian status level, DOCG, and so begins the confusion.

In Italy there are basically 4 quality tiers with the best, DOCG, being made from grapes grown on the finest sites in the country. These regions are restricted to specific grapes, styles, labeling and aging requirements, and more. Now that Prosecco is a DOCG it is more valuable, and the Italian government wants to protect it.

Prior to 2009 a producer could make wine outside of the Prosecco region using the Prosecco grape and simply put Prosecco on the label. Because the Prosecco region was only a DOC (the tier below DOCG) nobody really cared. But now that it's top dog, the producers from the region want to eliminate the ability for others to tarnish the name. Enter Glera. Glera is the Prosecco grape's new name. So now if a producer makes sparkling wine from the Glera grape and it doesn't fit in to the DOCG specifications, they can't put Prosecco on the label.

I don't blame the Italians for wanting to protect the name, although they are not making Italian wines any easier to understand. I think my real beef with Italian wines are the DOCG laws in general. I mean, Moscato d'Asti and Prosecco are in the same quality tier as Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo. Don't get me wrong, Moscato d'Asti and Prosecco are delicious and I love them as a nice affordable summer sparkling alternative. But the fact that they are in the same tier doesn't make sense. The best sparkling wines are made when the second fermentation is done in the bottle, this is called the Traditional Method. It is used in the production of Champagne, Cava and many other quality bubblies. Moscato d'Asti and Prosecco are made using the tank method, the process of making the wine in big tanks and shooting them under pressure to the bottles. This is not the most artisan or quality method so it can't be the highest standard in Italy, in my humble opinion.

So Prosecco is the region and Glera is the grape. And while Glera has always been the name of the grape, the region used the Prosecco name to identify it (like Brunello for Sangiovese). They could have at least made up a new name for the producers making Prosecco that don't fall under the DOCG, maybe one that had a better ring to it. If you are a producer across the street from Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG and you have been making "Prosecco" all of your life you now have to change the name to Sparkling Glera? Sexy. More importantly many wine professionals like myself have spent their careers selling and promoting Prosecco and now we have to go back and explain "well, it use to be called Prosecco..."

So for the consumer, not a whole lot has really changed. Prosecco produced in the region will still be Prosecco. Prices will rise a little for Prosecco because it now has DOCG status and parties with the cool cats. But it will still taste and look the same. On the flip side though there maybe a new value find...Sparkling Glera anyone?

As always thanks for reading and if you liked it feel free to pass it along to a friend.

Salut,

Nicholas Barth

Certified Sommelier

Wine Director

Cru Wine Online

See Nick and learn more at www.cruwineonline.com.