Bubbles!

“Come quickly, I am tasting the stars.” – Dom Pérignon, after tasting Champagne for the first time 

Sparkling wine should be drunk more often. It’s damn delicious and there’s no reason to save it for your graduation or anniversary. You can find good sparkling wines that won’t put you in the poor house and won’t taste like the garbage you bought when you were 16 for drinking between sessions of Seven Minutes in Heaven at that party. There are small things in everyday life that we can celebrate and be thankful for, so why not do it in style?

Top 10 Reasons to Drink Sparkling Wine, according to me.

1. It’s unique.
2. It makes every occasion a celebration. Getting an A on a test or just getting through a hectic week is reason enough for its enjoyment.
3. You feel like Jay-Z when you walk into a party with a bottle of bubbly.
4. Mimosas! Orange juice, or whichever juice is on hand, mixed with sparkling wine makes for a happy morning or hangover.
5. It goes great with strawberries, berries, light desserts, kettle chips, popcorn, oysters, smoked salmon, mushroom dishes, gouda, and brie. Apparently good with caviar too, but I’m not that rich.
6. Drinking out of flutes is fun and looks snazzy.
7. Opening sparkling wine is an art of sorts. It is fun and also a bit nerve-wracking. Shoot the cork into the air, spray the contents all over friends or do it the right way (see below).
8. The buzz from sparkling wine is special. You feel just as light and bubbly as what you just drank.
9. Bubble baths should be paired with bubble drinks.
10. It’s like hundreds of tiny diamonds dancing in your mouth.

Sparkling wines are just wines that have carbon dioxide bubbles in them. In the creation of sparkling wines, yeast is added to an already fermented still wine to begin a second fermentation process. There are three main byproducts of fermentation: heat, alcohol and CO2. In still wines, the CO2 is released, but is kept for sparkling wines.

There are a few different methods of fermentation and this is where quality begins to differ. Tank-fermented sparkling wine is done in large sealed tanks and is very cost-effective. The bottle fermentation method is more laborious and costly, but usually produces a better quality product. With bottle fermentation, each bottle has its own batch of yeast, and it is the prolonged contact with the yeast in each individual bottle that creates complex flavors beyond that of just the wine itself.

The really cheap sparkling wines that you can pick up for not much over ten dollars usually don’t undergo a second fermentation process. Those sparkling wines tend to be injected with cartridges of CO2, just like fountain pop.

Wine regions all over the world make sparkling wines, but they often go by different names.

The first ones to perfect the art of sparkling wine were the French. Most sparkling wines from France are called champagne. This is because they come from that region of France. The French name their wines by the appellation from which they come, instead of the grape name.

A common mistake is calling any sparkling wine Champagne. The French would spit on you if they heard you call a sparkling wine from another region by their appellation name. The law protects the name Champagne, sort of like a copyright, so that other places don’t trick people into thinking they are buying something from France. Arguably, the Champagne region makes the best sparkling wine in the world, which in turn allows them to hike up their prices. The Champagne region uses Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay to create their sparkling wines. They use traditional method bottle fermentation. The chalky soil and cool climate makes for a perfectly acidic grape for sparkling wine production.

Other regions also name their sparkling wines. Recently Prosecco, a sparkling wine from northeast Italy, has had a rise in popularity. Cava is what they call their sparkling wine in Spain, and in Canada we just call it sparkling wine. Nova Scotia is now producing some impressive bottle-fermented sparkling wines, as well.

This past weekend I picked up two bottles of sparkling. One I drank with a friend before going to a rock show at a local pub. The other was a pre-supper drink with family and friends. Then I got to a clothing swap at my friend’s this afternoon, only to see she was serving mimosas. Needless to say, I had a fabulous few days.

—

Valdivieso NV Grand Brut Sparkling Wine

Santiago, Chile $13.99

A light golden colored sparkling with small bubbles aplenty. A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay aged on its yeast lees for an average of 15 months. Crisp acidity, medium to lights body. A mix of cashew, citrus and bread on the nose. Apple, and a hint of cracker on the palate. Great price for the taste.

Eat: Would go nicely with a nut crusted brie, goat cheese, or even stuffed mushroom caps.

Listen to: Master of My Make-Believe by Santigold

My score: 85

—

Bottega 2011 Prosecco D.O.C.

Italy $23.99

An almost clear, very light bodied and refreshing sparkling wine. Hints of apple, apricot, and citrus on the nose and palate. Easy drinking and smooth.

Eat: Pair with a plate of fresh tropical fruit, or salted kettle chips.

Album Pairing: Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder

My score: 82