‘Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry. And what better for general merriment than a glass of bubbly? Most of us, when we think of sparkling wine, think of Champagne. But not all sparkling wines can rightly be called Champagne—and, contrary to popular belief, not every bottle of Champagne is superior to every bottle of sparkling wine.
What is sparkling wine?
Sparkling wines are characterized by bubbles, which are the result of high levels of carbon dioxide produced by either natural fermentation or CO2 (carbon dioxide) injections into the liquid (a la Pepsi).
Only sparkling wine that is produced in the French region of Champagne from specific grapes that are grown there (pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay) is “Champagne.” Thanks to a combination of quality controls, tradition and marketing, Champagne is often more expensive than other types of sparkling wine, making it difficult for many drinkers to enjoy it on a regular basis. That places the spotlight on non-Champagne alternatives.
“Like every Italian I pretty much love Champagne, but here it’s too expensive and not worth it,” says Davide Vacchiotti, export manager at Italian Fine Wines, which supplies Italasia. Cue Italian prosecco, Spanish cava, Californian “sparklers”—wines boasting a similar effervescence, but often at a higher quality-for-your-money ratio than Champagne.
When and where
Despite its festive image, drinkers don’t really need a particular reason to enjoy a glass of sparkling wine.
“It is the best aperitif and it is also at home at the end of the meal with many different desserts or just to cleanse the palate,” explains oenologist Bill Hardy of Australia’s Hardy Wine Company. And sparkling wines’ refreshing quality makes them well-suited to the hot weather of Thailand (and spicy Thai food): “The fact that they have good acidity and can be chilled down to 5 or 6 degrees Celsius without compromising their character means they work well in warm, moist climates,” Hardy says.
How can you tell good from bad?
Not surprisingly, good sparkling wine is characterized by the same things found in good regular wine: aroma, body and taste. “Mostly it’s the taste of the sparkling wine and the body of the sparkling wine, which should not be too flat,” says Tiwa Yenwattana, assistant restaurant manager of Le Normandie at the Oriental and its former sommelier. In general, the more complex a wine is, and the more body it has, the better, he adds.
How to drink it
Hollywood likes to show people drinking out of wide martini-style glasses or super-skinny “flutes.” Aficionados such as Tiwa opt for something in between, such as tulip-shaped “flutes,” which are big enough to accommodate your nose (to sniff the “bouquet”) without being so huge that you lose all the flavor and bubbles.
Any suggestions?
Below are six non-Champagne sparklers to help you celebrate the New Year with bubbles without breaking the bank.
Trivento Brut Nature, Mendoza
B649, Wine Connection
This Argentinian sparkler won’t win awards for the greatest bubbly ever, but it will refresh your palate before dinner or prove a surprisingly pleasant accompaniment to your barbecue brunch, especially if you have a bit of a sweet tooth (for alcohol).
Cuvee Flamme Brut Rose AOC Saumur
B1,400, Wine Connection
This cremant composed of Chenin, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc grapes is recommended as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to fish or fruity desserts. The amber color and cider-like taste make this wine more suitable for light quaffing than serious drinking.
Cascine Pinot-Chardonnay Spumante Brut
B395, Italasia
This Italian spumante, crafted in the Piedmont region, is not a prosecco, which must be made from Prosecco grapes. Instead it is, as you may have guessed, made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, lending it a slightly sweet taste reminiscent of green apple. The exuberant bubble action makes it perfect for drinking before dinner or when you’re ringing in the New Year late in the evening.
Vallformosa Clasic Brut Cava Penedes
B599, Wine Connection
This yummy cava boasts a slightly greenish hue that belies the wine’s mixed fruity notes—melon, banana, apricot and apple are all present. Lively and refreshing, it would go well with any sort of entrée, particularly oysters and foie gras.
Zardetto Prosecco, B690, Wine Care
Appetizing and smooth, this is made from 100 percent Prosecco grapes from around the northeastern hills of Conegliano. The wine sports hints of citrus, peach and pineapple and goes well with seafood. But don’t shy away from serving it as an aperitif or after dinner—this sparkling wine can perform well enough on its own.
Fantinel Prosecco, B860, Italasia
This lovely wine is a classic prosecco: refreshing, refined and self-effacing. Frothy and delicious, this is great for just about any occasion calling for Champagne—particularly for aperitifs and desserts. The sleek bottle with striking gold-and-black label also makes this particular number stand out.
Need to Know
Cava: Produced mainly in the Catalan region of Spain, cava is usually white or pale pink in color and is still made in the “traditional method” (“methode traditionelle”), which includes second fermentation in the bottle and a selection of five grapes including Chardonnay.
Cremant: Formally used to describe sparkling wine with less bubbles (at lower pressure), it now refers to all non-Champagne French sparkling wines produced by the traditional method. Most of these wines come from the Loire Valley and Alsace.
Prosecco: A type of white grape used for Italian sparkling (spumante) or semi-sparkling (frizzante) wine. Spumante usually ends up being sweet or semi-sweet, and there are no regulations dictating its production, unlike those governing the making of Champagne. However, “Prosecco” can only refer to sparkling wines produced by the white prosecco grape, which can only be grown in the northeastern region of Italy.
Sparklers: This “casual” term usually refers to sparkling wines from American producers. U.S. sparkling wines date back to the late 19th century, when the Korbel brothers of Czechoslovakia produced effervescent wines by using methods employed by French Champagne makers.
AOC: Appellation d’Origine Controlee, a system set up by the French government that dictates, as it relates to wine, permitted varieties, yields, alcohol levels, growing practices, etc.
Methode traditionelle: “traditional method” invented in Champagne (a.k.a. “méthode Champenoise”) in which a second fermentation occurs in the bottle to produce carbonation.
Essentials
Wine Care (Wine Gallery)
5th fl., Emporium
Sukhumvit Soi 24, 02-261-4559.
Open daily 10am-9:30pm
Wine Connection
1 Sivadon Building, 1st Fl. Unit 2,
Convent Road. 02-234-0388.
www.wineconnection.co.th
Open Mon-Fri 10:30am-9:30pm, Sat-Sun 10:30am-6pm
Italasia
1st fl., CRC Bldg., All Seasons Place
87 Wireless Rd., 02-685-3862
www.italasiagroup.com
Open daily 11am-8pm
