Bubbles can be sanity-saving– salve a bad day, make Meatloaf Night an occasion or help celebrate a holiday. Luckily, high-quality sparkling wine comes in all price points. So whether you have a Hamilton or a Franklin in your wallet, it’s easy to toast to the good life. Learn the difference ... Read More »
Sparkling
Sparkling wine reviews
Wine review: The best $5 bubbly you can buy — M. Chevallier Cava
I tasted the black label M. Chevallier Carte Noire Cava with trepidation and suppressed my high hopes, attempting to give it a fair and balanced assessment (which is tough without tasting blind). But I was pretty damn impressed. That was a few months ago. Now, it’s my house pour on a Sunday ... Read More »
Wine review: Sokol Blosser Evolution Sparkling Wine
The market for sparkling wine has exploded like demand for Bradjolina’s sold out French rosé. I’m happily seeing more bubblies now than ever before, especially from the west coast of the U.S. There are a couple of reasons why. One is that people are demanding them — mostly millennials ... Read More »
Sparkling wine, Prosecco and Champagne: Bubblies for all budgets
‘Tis the season to grab the bubblies and head to parties (or host your own at home). About 80% of all sparkling wine sales happen between November 1 and December 31st — there’s something about celebrating the holidays which creates a Pavlovian response to sparkles in our glass.
We. ... Read More »
Bubbles for all occasions: Great sparkling wine and Champagne for the fizzy holiday
For many sparkling wine houses, this time of year produces 50% of their sales. Tis a shame that wine drinkers save up their bubbles and celebrate fizz strictly in December — a bottle of bubbly could be a celebration unto itself. But perhaps our American puritanical roots prevent us from indulging ... Read More »
Wine review: Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose Champagne
Ah… true Champagne. I still remember when I was introduced to this elixir otherwise known as Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne — shortly before I became a wine writer, a wealthy friend bestowed a bottle of their Brut bubbly as a Christmas gift. At $40, it was far and above what a lowly poor ... Read More »
Sweet sparkling wine review: Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d’Acqui
In my opinion, Rosa Regale is the quintessential romantic wine and chicks seriously dig it — a sweet, rich dessert sparkler from the Piedmont region of Italy. It’s an absolutely perfect sparkling wine for a wedding, served with a decadent wedding cake, or to accompany berry-laden tarts… ... Read More »
Wines for Valentine’s Day: For romance, love or massacres?
Sexy, sultry, sensuous, luscious — ever wondered why these words are used to describe wine? Could it be that wine leads us down the road to romance? To desire? Wine certainly pairs with Valentine’s Day. But does romance have to rule the day on Valentine’s? What if this Hallmark holiday ... Read More »
Sparkling wine review: J Winery Cuvee 20 Brut
A dear friend gave me a 1.5 liter magnum of this elegant sparkling wine for Christmas and I almost peed my pants. (Available to buy online only, by the way). There’s nothing quite like looking at a family-sized bottle of bubbly and savoring the ensuing drinking fantasies. I haven’t opened ... Read More »
Sparkling wine review: Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs Brut 2007
My history with Napa Valley’s Schramsberg Winery goes back a few years. Back in 2006, I spent a day during harvest in 2006 with their former winemaker, Craig Roemer, and a few days at their incredible sparkling winemaking immersion course, Camp Schramsberg, in 2010. So you might say I possess ... Read More »
The best, inexpensive summer sippin’ wine: Vinho Verde from Portugal
Not sure why but Vinho Verde doesn’t get much respect from the sophisticates out there. The wine snobs, the “connoisseurs” or the collectors don’t rave about the summer utility of this Portuguese white. Perhaps they prefer to limit their consumption of Portuguese choices to ... Read More »
Five refreshing white wines for spring and summer
Warmth is finally peeking out from underneath the underbelly of winter, escaping to where people wear shorts and sandals. When the mercury rises to this level, it’s difficult to slurp red wine, so I recommend these five inexpensive white and sparkling wines that should quench the thirst tugging ... Read More »