Make Your Holidays Sparkling

With the holidays just around the corner, we have some sparkling wine recommendations to take the guess work out of selecting wines.

Big thanks to our friends at Palm Bay International and Taub Family Selections for providing us with samples for this episode. Although these wines were provided to us, the opinions and tasting notes in this episode are our own.

Budget Friendly Wines

Villa Marcello Millesimato Prosecco DOC Brut NV - priced around $17.

• Villa Marcello Prosecco DOC hails from the province of Treviso, one of the finest growing regions of Prosecco.
• Grapes: 85% Glera, 15% Pinot Bianco
• Light aromas and flavors of apple blossom, lemon, and dried hay
• This wine doesn’t have bread or yeasty notes - it’s fruity and floral, very delicate and elegant wine

Pere Ventura Tresor Brut Cava - priced around $16. 

• This Cava is a Reserva which means it’s aged 15 months on the lees the same as non-vintage Champagne 
• Light aromas of nectarines, fresh sage, minerality and yeasty notes
• Flavors of nectarines, fresh sage, white flowers and minerality
• Although we get a hint of breadiness in the nose, this wine is still very crisp and fruity
• We enjoyed this wine with a nice aged Gouda cheese but also would go with appetizers, hard cheeses, fried foods, and Asian cuisine

Something different

Ackerman Crémant de Loire Sparkling Cuvée 1811 Blanc Brut - priced around $22. 

• The name of this wine comes from its beginnings. Ackerman was established in 1811 in the small town of Saumur in the heart of France's Loire Valley by Jean-Baptiste Ackerman.
• Blend of 70% Chenin Blanc, 20 % Chardonnay, 10% Cabernet Franc and each variety is made into wine separately in view of maintaining its typical features up until blending at the end of winter.
• This wine has light aromas of golden apples, white flowers and a hint of breadiness
• We got flavors of golden apples, peaches, lemon oil and white flowers
• Very fruit wine that we thought it paired really well with blue cheese
• We think that this is a unique blend of grapes that people might not be as familiar with.

Altemasi Brut, Trento DOC - priced around $24.

• The Trento DOC appellation is renowned for producing some of the finest sparkling wines in Italy and is known as the Italian alternative to Champagne 
• 100% Chardonnay wine made in the traditional method that is aged on the lees for at least 15 months
• Light aromas of apples and bread almost like apple pie
• This wine has flavors of lemon, green apples with a hint of breadiness
• So when people think of sparkling wine from Italy they mostly think of Prosecco and Prosecco is super popular right now. So if you are looking for something different from Italy this would be a great option. 

Splurge Wines

Boizel Brut Réserve Champagne NV - priced around $50.

• 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier
• The still wines from the year are blended with 30% of reserve wines kept from the previous two harvests, for consistency
• Post second fermentation, the wine is aged for three years on its lees, in bottle
• Intense aromas of bread dough, golden apples and honeycomb
• This wine has flavors of honeysuckle, green apples, lemon and a hint of bread
• We love the smell of this wine and the complex flavor profile
• Enjoyed this wine with Camembert and aged Gouda cheeses

Champagne André Jacquardt Brut Nature Expérience 1er Cru Blanc De Blancs - priced around $100.

• 100% Chardonnay wine
• 60% Vinified in stainless steel, 40% vinified in older Burgundy oak barrels. No malolactic fermentation. Five years aging on the lees before disgorgement.
• Aromas of red apple skins, bread, rose and minerality
• It’s the driest of the wines in this episode and has high acidity with flavors of pink lady apples, rose, lemon, and a funky yeasty flavor
• This wine is crisp, fruity, floral and complex 
• A special treat for a special occasion