Posts Tagged ‘Champagne’

Champagnes for any Season

Sparkling wines are usually reserved for special occasions, but why wait? We crack it open when we’re looking for something that can easily transition between different food flavors and textures. And while yes, bubbles add a festive touch; they also act as a perfect palate cleanser between bites. The natural acidity of these wines helps brighten food flavors instead of overwhelming them.

When thinking about pairing wines, we go with two rules: “like with like” and “opposites attract.”

Light, fresh dishes call for a light wine, and sparkling wine fit the bill. Think of classic pairings such as oysters, caviar or cheese.

But bubbly is also wonderful with salty, fatty or fried foods -the exact type of foods we usually find on the Thanksgiving table which is why we recommend it especially at Thanksgiving – because the brightness of the wine balances out the richness of the dish. The wine leaves you with a refreshed mouth and prepares your taste buds for another rich spoonful.

Sparkling wines and Champagnes are food-pairing champions and provide both complimentary (like with like) and contrasting (opposites attract) notes.

Canella Prosecco, $20
This is a flavorful, fun and festive Prosecco from Italy’s Treviso D.O.C in Veneto.
It is characterized by its lively aromas and fruit and the ideal balance of acidity and sugar, which renders it both mellow and fresh. A lengthy sojourn on the lees endows it with concentration and intensity of flavors. Dry and persistent on the palate, it is a marvelous aperitif as well as an all around fish & fowl wine to accompany the entire meal or for pairing with fresh cheeses.

Champalou Vouvray Sparkling Chenin Blanc, $25
Another sparkling wine made from Chenin Blanc, this one hails from France and is made by the Champalou family. It’s aged two years in the bottle before release, giving it a pale, straw color with floral and aromatic notes.

J. Lassalle Brut Champagne Cachet D’Or, $44.95
A family-owned winery in the heart of Champagne, France, J. Lassalle is one of the only wines from the area that is allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. What results is a complex and diverse wine that totally delivers at this price point. Much more sophisticated than other mass marketed champagnes, this is true artisan champagne that will be appreciated and enjoyed with a variety of food.

Veuve Fourny & Fils Rose Champagne, $60
Founded in 1896, this winery produces grower champagnes that are characterized by super-fine bubbles, rich and deep aromatics and complex minerality that refreshes the mouth after each sip.

J. Lasalle Angeline Cuvee Champagne, $70
Coming from a small, family-owned winery run by a mother-daughter team, this wine is given great attention to detail at every level. It is a true grower Champagne. This wine is light yellow-gold in color, has smoky notes filled with citrus and pears and a long, lasting finish. This is truly bottled magic.

We have a large selection of Champagne Gift Baskets which can include any of these delicious champagnes.

Champagne and other sparkling wines

The recipe for choosing a good sparkling wine is the same as for still wine: good producers, healthy fruit and quality vineyards. True Champagne, from the French region of Champagne, is produced from the fruit of the numerous grape-growers there. Some champagne producers own their own vineyards and some do not. The best wines are made with the combination of generations of experience, traditional vinification methods and again, quality grown fruit from choice vineyards. True Champagne comes with a higher price tag than what is bottled and labeled elsewhere as “Sparkling Wine.” By law, a sparkling wine can be called Champagne only if it is from the region of Champagne in France.

Cava is another top value in the Sparkling Wine arena. Produced in various parts of Spain, the best examples are made in Penedes, the northeast area, where, as in the Veneto and Champagne, there are cooler climates that are ideal for sparkling wine production. Marques de Gelida is available on our wine gifts page in various gift baskets, it is crisp with more of an attack of citrus, white flowers and pear.

To wrap up here, I finish with a mantra to remember: top producers & prime vineyards = the best wines/champagnes. I hope this will help you somewhat to understand the range of styles of sparkling wines and their relativity to value when choosing your sparkling wine gifts. As always, I am available to assist you by phone or email here at Fancifull.
*CUVEE: a blend or special lot of wine.