Smart Meetings

Sparkling Wines For The Season

Author: Christopher Sawyer
December 2006

Food + Beverage

’Tis the season for putting on festive events, so kick your celebrations off in style. We’re here to help you select and serve a sparkling wine to brighten any occasion.

In the old days, choosing sparkling wines meant securing bottles of pricey Champagne. But today the choices are not limited to wines exclusively made in that legendary region of France. Instead, over the past 20 years, new and vivacious styles of domestic sparkling wine trade have blossomed in Northern California and other areas on the West Coast, offering many excellent choices to delight party-goers.
Better yet, the reasonable pricing of these exquisite wines will not drain the pocketbook.
SWEET SPOTS
Carneros, the pristine winegrowing region located along the shores of the San Pablo Bay at the southern end of Sonoma and Napa counties, is a prime example. From a farming standpoint, this special geographical area is highlighted by a mixture of clay soils, gentle rolling hills and a relatively moderate-to-cool climate directly influenced by the bay and the regular flow of air from the nearby Pacific Ocean. Together, all these factors make it one of the best areas in America to grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the rarer Pinot Meunier—the three grape varieties that, by law, can be used to make true Champagne according to centuries-old traditions in France.
Today, this region at the confluence of the two counties, has become the hub for a large number of top domestic sparkling wine brands, including Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon, Gloria Ferrer and a number of other fine artisan producers that have established solid reputations by crafting top-notch sparklers.
Other regions along California’s coast that have had great success for creating elegant bubbles trapped inside each bottle include Green Valley and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, Anderson Valley in Mendocino County and Arroyo Grande in Santa Barbara County. Additionally, Oregon’s Willamette Valley is another strong area with great choices to consider.  
The goal of the event coordinator is to find a delicious sparkling wine from one of these regions that will work with the size of the group for whom the event is planned, the style of cuisine being served and, of course, the amount of money available to spend.

EXCELLENT BEGINNINGS
For those with a moderate budget for larger parties, the easy solution is to select a high-quality, nonvintage sparkling wine that is refined enough to impress even the pickiest of wine drinkers in the group. As a general rule, these types of delicious “house-style” sparklers are made with grapes from multiple vintages in order to create a consistent flavor profile on a yearly basis.
A wonderful example of this style of wine is the Gloria Ferrer NV Brut, Sonoma County, an elegant blend of 87 percent Pinot Noir and 13 percent Chardonnay grapes. This wine features fruit-driven flavors of Bartlett pears, Fuji apple, citrus, almonds, a creamy texture and a pleasant roasty-toasty note on the finish. Its counterpart is the Gloria Ferrer NV Blanc de Noir, Sonoma County, a blend of 92 percent Pinot Noir and 8 percent Chardonnay, which features a nice balance of cherry, berry, hibiscus and great acidity. Both of these wines retail for $18 and are widely available throughout the United States.
Other tasty examples in a similar price range include the Korbel NV Natural Brut, a lovely, dry sparkler made with a blend Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Russian River Valley, and the Mirabelle NV Brut made by Schramsberg of Napa Valley with grapes from multiple appellations. Also to be included in this group is the Domaine Chandon NV Brut Rosé, a delightful bubbly featuring a lively pink hue, bright flavors of fresh strawberries, cherries and a hint of sweetness on the finish.  

DELUXE SIPS
For the more medium-range events such as corporate parties, the best idea is to focus on finding fine sparkling wines that highlight a particular vintage. In essence, these effervescent sparklers are made with more complex and sophisticated blends of base wines or cuvées selected from a single harvest.
In general, these wines retail $25–$35 per bottle. But it is also important to keep in mind that, as you probably know from experience, price for these products can vary considerably when purchased at entertainment venues, restaurants or via specialty banquet departments; twice the retail price is common.
Great examples in this category include: the lovely and very complex Iron Horse 2001 Classic Vintage Brut (Green Valley, $30); the J Wine Co. 2000, featuring marvelous notes of baked apples, cinnamon, toasted almonds and a creamy texture (Russian River Valley, $30); and the elegant Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs, made entirely with Chardonnay grapes and featuring tasty notes of tropical fruit, citrus and vanilla (multiple appellations, $32.50).

OPULENT OPTIONS
For those who are hosting more exclusive parties with family, friends or close business associates, and who have a bigger budget to spend, it’s then possible to select a top-tiered style of sparkling wine.
In general, these unique styles of sophisticated sparkling wines, starting at $35, were inspired by the classic French tete de cuvée-styles of winemaking that exclusively use only the finest lots of grapes picked during each particular vintage.
One of the best examples of this style is the Domaine Carneros 2000 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs ($55), an elegant cuvée made with six different clones of Chardonnay grown on the winery’s estate property.
Translated as “the dream” from the French, Le Rêve features a marvelous combination of bright floral aromas, exotic flavors of passion fruit, pineapple and mango, Meyer lemon zest, ginger spice, vanilla and a toasty note on the finish. In a nutshell, it’s a sparkling wine with a lot of personality!
“We’re not making Champagne, nor are we making Burgundy,” says Eileen Crane, winemaker/president of Domaine Carneros. “Instead, we are making complex wines that are true to the unique landscape and climate that Carneros has to offer.”
Another great example is the Gloria Ferrer 1996 Carneros Cuvée ($45), an elegant wine made with 58 percent Pinot Noir and 42 percent Chardonnay grapes, which were picked and whole-cluster pressed. The end result is a fabulous sparkler with bright flavors of green apple, Asian pears, citrus, toasted almonds, subtle nuances of ginger spice and a long, crisp finish.
Although this laborious process took eight years to complete, David Brown, the marketing director for Gloria Ferrer, says the finished product was worth the wait. He describes the lovely effervescent wine as having a “sixth sense,” or a romantic quality that goes beyond sight, smell, taste, sound and feel. “It is that other sense that goes along with celebration or seduction that is stimulated by the popping of the cork.”
Other notable styles of ultra-premium domestic bubbly to look for include: Domaine Chandon 1996 Vintage Brut (Carneros, $50); Mumm-Napa 1999 DVX (Napa Valley, $55); and the Schramsberg 1999 Brut Reserve (multiple appellations, $65).

MENU PLANNING
In addition to serving as tasty aperitifs, these sophisticated styles of sparkling wines can complement a large array of cuisine, including classic hors d’oeuvres such as Dungeness crab cakes, fresh oysters, sushi, foie gras or caviar; aioli or other citrus-based sauces; main dishes featuring prawns, salmon, Ahi tuna, roasted duck, turkey or chicken; a wide range of cheeses; pastry-based desserts such as apple crisp or pear frangipane; and just about any items served during brunch.   

OPTIMUM SERVICE
Bottles of sparkling wines should always be chilled to 45–50 degrees and served in long-stemmed flutes. If the wine needs to be chilled prior to the party, place the bottles in the fridge for 2–3 hours; but if you are short on time, then put them in a bucket filled with ice and water. But never—I repeat, never—put a bottle in the freezer; if you leave it too long, it can explode.
But most importantly, remember that all of these fantastic sparkling wines are not only reserved for holidays and celebrations, but can be delightful libations to be enjoyed on all occasions.  

Christopher Sawyer is a national wine writer, educator and wine judge who has written for The San Francisco Chronicle, Patterson’s Beverage Journal, Wine Business Monthly, Wine X magazine and Vineyard & Winery Management, among others. In addition to being sommelier at Carneros Bistro at The Lodge at Sonoma and for the annual Sonoma Valley Film Festival, Sawyer is co-owner of Vine & Barrel Wine Shop in Petaluma, Calif.