Red-Blooded, Southern...Champagne-Drinker?

I like sparkling wine.  There, I said it.  I'm a man.  From the South.  And I like the bubbly.  To some of you, this may sound laughable.  You are fools. 

Sparkling wine is wine after all, not just some ubiquitous, novelty drink for celebrations.  Around here, it's enjoyment is usually reserved for New Year's Eve and football season, where it is mixed with orange juice or some other fruity liquid to create a "festive" cocktail at tailgates.

That's all fine and good, but sparkling wine can be just as nuanced and interesting as still wine.  It's usually more versatile, too.  Need a bevy to spruce up those scrambled eggs?  Grab a sparkler.  Want the perfect aperitif to freshen the palate?  Bubbles.  Looking for something to accompany those soft cheeses? Oysters? Crab cakes? Chicken wings?  Cake?  You guessed it.

But "champagne" is so expensive...

No, it's not.  In fact, if you see "champagne" on the bottle and it's not from the famed region of France, it's probably plonk.  Alas, there are several (mostly New World) affordable options with which to begin your appreciation of "every day" sparkling wine.  Look for these producers:  Gloria Ferrer, Domaine Carneros, Flying Goat, Korbel, Barefoot, Scharffenberger, Roederer Estate, Mumm Napa, Domaine Chandon, Domaine Ste. Michelle, Gruet, Segura Viudas, Louis Perdrier, and Monmousseau.


When actually enjoying sparkling wine (as opposed to glugging it at a party), first, stick your nose in it.  Aromas may range from apples, lemons, and pears to biscuits, cinnamon toast, and sea breeze.  Likewise, on the palate, sparklers can be bright, crisp, and lively with white fruits, citrus, and brine.  Or, they can be rich, robust, even succulent with tropical fruits, biscuit dough, apple pie and roasted nut flavors.  Pay attention to the distinctions amongst these wines, appreciate the different regions from which they come, and think of them just as you would any other wine - a worthwhile companion to most any occassion.

A frosty bottle of Domaine Carneros Brut catches 

some rays

 Special shout out to my pal, Bryce Harrison, up in Arkansas for my shiny new logo.  Thanks, bro.

Cheers.