During the long, warm days of summer, I find sparkling wine absolutely indispensable. When we sit down on a restaurant’s terrace or patio, we often order flutes of the house bubbly to sip as we contemplate the menu. It’s especially appropriate to drink sparkling wine while traveling – it lends a festive quality to meals, making them feel at once celebratory and relaxed. A flute feels particularly refreshing after a sunny day of sightseeing. And because sparkling wine is so food-friendly, it will likely pair well with any amuse bouche that might arrive before the first course.
Champagne is always lovely, but high-quality sparkling wines now come from all manner of unexpected places around the world. As you travel this summer, keep your eye out for local sparklers, which frequently offer a sense of place as well as an excellent value for the money. Here are a few discoveries I’ve made recently:
I was quite surprised, I must admit, by the refined texture and balance of this sparkler from Virginia. This 100-percent Chardonnay had an unexpected aroma of berries, and apple-flavored fruit leavened by juicy acids. Each of Trump’s sparkling wines that I tasted at the winery was equally delicious.
The least-expensive German Sekts have given the entire genre a reputation for clumsy bubbles and generally shoddy craftsmanship. But Riesling Sekt, made from 100-percent German Riesling, can actually be quite tasty. I tried a number of fine small-production examples on my trip to Germany last year, but when in the United States, I look for Dr. Loosen’s. It has an enticingly fruity and floral nose, elegant bubbles and acids lively enough to balance out its sweet fruit flavors.
Several wineries make delightful sparklers based on Hungary’s most famous grape, Furmint. One of the greatest and least-known white varieties, Furmint is capable of making internationally competitive bubbly, though little of it is exported. I especially liked the Sauska Extra Brut from Tokaj, which I tried at Onyx in Budapest. This blend of Furmint, Hárslevelű and Chardonnay had pleasant aromas of apples and yeast, plentiful prickly bubbles and bracingly sharp food-friendly acids.
I tried this charming and unusual blend of Yakima Valley Chardonnay and Syrah at The Tasting Room in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. It was redolent of red berries, balanced by lemony acids and a touch of minerality on the finish.
One could be forgiven for imagining that ubiquitous Prosecco is Italy’s only sparkler, but this classy Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine comes from the Franciacorta region near Lake Iseo. A salmon-orange, this 50-percent Chardonnay and 50-percent Pinot Noir had tiny, pointy bubbles and flavors of yeast, dusky citrus and berries.
Even with all the fine alternatives now available, I can never go long without Champagne. Some of the most interesting to try are Grower Champagnes, made by the same people who own the vineyards. These Champagnes, designated by the code “RM” on the label, should have more of a sense of terroir than Champagne made from grapes sourced from various vineyards in the region (most commonly indicated by the code “NM”). One of the best values is crafted by Château Fluteau, which makes vintage-dated Champagne. Each year is a little different, but expect delicate bubbles and rich, complex flavors of yeast, popcorn, white fruit and limestone.