This month the French Winophiles are delving into the sparkling world of Crémant d’Alsace, and I will be focusing in particular on two excellent examples from Domaine Baumann-Zirgel.
Last year I had the pleasure of tasting a myriad of samples from Alsace, thanks to the Alsace Digitasting. And while it totally rekindled my love for riesling, I was disappointed that due to sample bottling constraints, we weren’t able to try any Crémant d’Alsace, the famed traditional-method sparkling wine from the region. So I was thrilled when the Winophiles chose Crémant for this month’s topic, as it gave me a chance to make up for lost bubbly!
Hanukah and Christmas are over, but there’s still one major holiday left: New Years! As per usual, we have no plans. But one thing is for certain: there will be bubbly. And it will likely be Ontario sparkling wine this New Year’s Eve, to continue supporting our local wineries. Maybe we’ll just drink bubbly all night long by the fire. It’ll be a stark contrast to last year, when we rang in the New Year barefoot, watching fireworks from the bow of a catamaran (not ours) in Grand Case, in St. Martin.
It’s the time of year where we all start thinking about bubbles! Whether for gift‑giving purposes, or just to open in honour of surviving another day, there is a bubbly for every occasion. To that end, I have compiled a list of the top Ontario sparkling wines to get you through the holidays and celebrate the New Year. I think we can all agree that it’s time for this godforsaken year to come to an end already (don’t let the door hit you on your way out, 2020!).
I know it must be a shock to see Wining with Mel re-appearing out of the blue like this after such a long absence. Five months, to be exact. Rest assured that despite the lack of posts, you have not left my thoughts. I have been battling a heavy dose of guilt for not writing. Did you think of me a little while I was gone?
It goes without saying that coming back to the “real world” after a year off – first traipsing around Europe, then sailing around the Caribbean – has been a bit of an adjustment. I have gone from a completely unstructured life on a boat to being back in an office 5 days a week. I have gone from wearing flips flops or going barefoot to donning high heels. Continue reading
I know, I know. It has been a while. My excuses are valid, I assure you, but I don’t want to bore you with them. Let’s just say that I have been struck with a case of shifting priorities, and unfortunately this blog was one of the things that got shuffled to the bottom of the list, along with many other things that are dear to me. But it was all for a good cause! Read on, and you will see: this is a post of big news…
It’s that time of year again, when you start panicking about all those perfect, personal gifts you have to buy. My advice? Keep it simple. And if you’ve got wine lovers on your list, I’ve got you covered! Here are my top wine gifts for the holidays—or just because!
A few weeks ago, we went on a loooooooooong road trip to the Maritimes (like 1600 km long…one way). We were going to a friend’s wedding in Nova Scotia, and I decided to take the whole week off since I had never really spent much time on the East Coast, save a choir trip in Grade 7 (yes, yes, I am a choir nerd) and a couple of trips to Halifax to visit friends in my university days. I was due for some quality mari-time on the East Coast (see what I did there?). When organizing the trip, besides planning to eat a lot of lobster (success!), I obviously planned for a day of wine tasting.
Bubbly season is fast approaching! It’s the ideal time to review the different types of sparkling wine so you can pick the perfect bubbly for any occasion, from champagne to Baby Duck (but if you’re over the age of 20 and still drinking Baby Duck, you’re making poor life choices).
CHAMPAGNE
You can’t talk about sparkling wine without mentioning the world’s first: champagne. Don’t forget: only sparkling wine from the region of Champagne is allowed to actually carry that name on the label. Otherwise, it’s just sparkling wine.
Source: Wine Folly
So let’s set up the baseline for comparison here:
Grapes: Pinot noir, pinot meunier, chardonnay
Winemaking: First fermentation in vats, second fermentation in bottle – this is called the méthode champenoise, and was developed by monks in Champagne. It tends to make very light, long-lasting, delicate bubbles that dance on your tongue.
Characteristic flavour components: Toast, citrus, almond. Champagne tends to have prominent yeast or toast flavours from sitting on its lees (dead yeast cells – I know it sounds gross, but trust me it makes for some delicious bubbly) during the secondary fermentation in the bottle.
This sparkler is Spain’s response to champagne. It uses the same champenoise method, but uses local grapes instead. So if you like the bubbles in champagne, cava is an excellent and less expensive option. It comes from the Cava DOs (Denominación de Origen) in Spain, which are concentrated in the country’s northeast.
Grapes: Variety of local grapes such as viura, xarel.lo, and parellada
Winemaking: Champenoise, though outside of Champagne it is called the “traditional method”
Characteristic flavour components: Lime, yellow apple, white flower
Hint: This is what I buy when I want to serve champagne, but can’t justify spending over $50.
PROSECCO
The affordable Italian bubbly! This sparkler from the Veneto region in northeastern Italy is often slightly fruitier than champagne or cava, but also more affordable.
Grapes: Prosecco (the grape’s name was officially changed to “glera” in 2009 to protect the region’s name and avoid confusion).
Winemaking: Charmat method (aka cuve close): primary fermentation in a large vat, secondary fermentation in a pressurized tank. This method produces more wine, faster; therefore, the wines it yields tend to be less expensive.
Characteristic flavour components: Green apple, pear, white flower
Hint: Easy drinking for any occasion. Pairs really nicely with prosciutto-wrapped melon.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES
Franciacorta – the Italian sparkling wine made in the northern province of Lombardy using the champenoise method. Not easy to find in Ontario (only two types are currently available at the LCBO). Prices range from $30-$80.
Lambrusco – charmat-method Italian red sparkling wine (fabulous with pizza!).
Crémant – this term describes a sparkling wine made using the champenoise method in France but outside the Champagne region. You can get Crémant d’Alsace, Crémant de Loire, Crémant de Bourgogne, etc. Each region has its own rules regarding what percentage of various grape varieties is allowed. These are found in the $18-$25 range, usually in the Vintages section.
Sparkling wine – France, Spain and Italy aren’t the only ones making bubbly. Winemakers from all over the world, including right here in Ontario, are producing sparkling wines. They usually use the charmat method, but a select few use the labour‑intensive traditional method. These ones are definitely worth seeking out.
If you like sweeter wines, go for a Moscato d’Asti or Spumante Bambino (but I will judge you).
The Sweetness Scale
Speaking of sweetness, in the world of champagnes, “sec” doesn’t actually mean dry like it does for regular wines. If you want a dry style, look for the world “brut” on your bottle of sparkling. “Sec” or “demi-sec” will be sweeter, and “doux” will be very sweet.
Remember, you really don’t need a special occasion to drink bubbly. It’s not just for New Years anymore! You can open up a bottle just to celebrate those minor victories, like making it through a work day without killing someone, or finally getting around to changing that lightbulb that was out for 4 months.
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