NV Blanc de Blancs Vin Mousseux Brut

I was walking through the aisles at the local Wine Shop, Binny’s, and I came across a display of French Sparkling wine selling for $4.99, I had to give it a try. It does not say Champagne on the label, because only sparkling wine  from the Champagne Region can be called Champagne. It is classified as a Brut, which means dry or unsweet. Blanc de Blancs, indicates the wine is 100% Chardonnay. This Sparkler is sold by a French Negociant (a private bottler or re-labeler) and is bottled exclusively for Binny’s.

Very pale gold in color, there are plenty of bubbles. The nose is toasted bread, apricots, green apple and pear . Nice sharp bubbles, light citrus, some juicy ripe macintosh apple, with a late dose of banana and then a very light lemon finish. Very dry, very crisp, the flavors are all real fruit flavors, nothing artificial tasting.

Wow, five dollar Champagne never tasted like this before. Good bubbles, interesting nose and a delicate and refreshing taste. This is not a good for 5 bucks wine, it’s a solid, no excuses Sparkling Wine. This is the bubbly you need to order cases of for that Wedding or Anniversary Party. Your guests will thank you for it.

you can only find this a any Binny’s location or www.binnys.com

Chateau Renni Brut Cava NV

Spanish Cava done in the Traditional style. The grapes used are Viura 50%, Xarel-lo 30% and Parellada 20% (all three are white grapes). Second fermentation is 16 months in the bottle. The term Brut indicates this Cava is on the dryer side with less than 12 grams of sugar per liter.

Cava’s bring a lot to the table for a reasonable amount of money. If you think of only France and Champagne for Sparkling Wine, you are missing out  on some terrific wines from other regions and Cava’s are some of the best Sparkling wines for the price.

The color is light golden wheat. The nose is lively, melon, honeysuckle and apple. The taste is tart and refreshing, slightly acidic and crisp. Flavors include lemon, toasty bread, tart apple. Elegant, nicely complex.

Sparkling Wine is not just for special occasions and Sunday Brunch. There is no reason not to enjoy this Cava on a Tuesday evening while watching TV or an alternative to beer at that Saturday cook-out.

Chandon California Blanc de Noirs $12

I can recall a time when low priced Sparkling Wine was little more than fizzy vinegar, I drank it anyway, but you didn’t really want to be seen drinking the stuff. That is no longer the case, there are a whole slew of tasty bargain sparklers available. Chandon Blanc de Noirs is Moet Chandon’s California wine project. This is the American Sparkling Wine served at all White House Receptions. The Blanc de noirs (means white from black or red grapes) is a blend of two red grapes, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier both grown in Carneros County. Second fermentation is at least 12 months in the bottle.

The color is a light, very light golden yellow. The bubbles are very strong, sharp on your tongue, then they disappear. The nose has the typical champagne yeast aroma and light cherry and strawberry notes. The flavors are tart cherries and soft berries and then the creamy centers of chocolate covered cherries, not the chocolate flavors, just the creamy cherry centers.

At this price, it’s just not for toasts and special occasions any more.The Chandon Blanc de Noirs can be an everyday wine. With food, it will go well with anything a Pinot Noir can be paired with. I know I rarely think about grabbing a “Champagne Style” wine on a tuesday when I just want a bottle of wine to enjoy, I think it’s time to add Sparklers to the rotation.

2005 Gramona Gran Cuvee – $16

Gramona is the last family owned Cava maker in Spain. The Gran Cuvee is a blend of three grapes, Xarel.lo (that’s right it has a period in the middle), Macabeo and Chardonnay. The still wine is aged one year in French Oak and thirty months “on lees” ( in the bottle while the yeast is doing the second fermentation). Parker gave this vintage 91 points. So far so good, we have a single vintage, estate grown and bottled, 90 point plus Sparkler selling for 16 bucks.

Pale yellow in color, it looks very elegant in the glass. The nose is buttered toast, hints of butterscotch and a bit of lemon zest. The taste is sharp green apples on your tongue and fresh baked apple pie in the back of your palate with  that champagne nutty, yeasty note evident; cool, different levels of flavor. It has both a tart citrus component and a creamy almost buttery element. This a very classy bottle of wine, delicate and varied. The bubbles are light and fleeting, but the taste makes a statement. This is a sparkling wine that will hold it’s own with sparklers far more expensive.

R Wines Bitch Bubbly – $9

Now here’s something a little different, a sparkler made from Grenache with some Shiraz added into the mix. R Wines has been making their regular Bitch Grenache for a while now and it has always been a popular wine for women to give to their female friends. Turning that Grenache into bubbly is a brilliant idea. R Wines is a collaboration between Dan Phillips (who is one of the people who put  Australian wine on the map) and Chris Ringland ( who is commonly referred to as a “Rockstar” winemaker). These guys know wine and when they come to a vineyard looking for grapes for a new project, growers greet them with open arms. R Wines make some of the most consistently excellent, value priced wines on the planet.

It’s got a 1970′s soda pop top and not a cork and cage like most bubbly, so bring a bottle opener. The Bitch Bubbly is a very easy to drink Sparkler, sweet, but not too sweet, loads of ripe sliced strawberries in a bowl of fresh milk. The body is light, bubbles take the flavor to your taste buds then disappear. I found that the bottle was empty very quickly, it’s one of those fun wines that entice you to take the next sip and then the next. Not super complex and not a substitute for a French Grower/Producer Champagne, but a fun, party wine. Good times in a bottle, Bitch Bubbly should be included in your New Years Eve plans or maybe just your Tuesday night plans. It’s always time for a little bubbly.

Segura Viudas ARIA Pinot Noir Brut Cava -$10

The Aria Pinot Noir Brut is a Spanish Cava, this particular one is a sparkling wine made in the French style, using a traditional French grape varietal . The Aria is actually a Rose’, though it does not say so on the bottle, it has a soft pink color, which indicates that the grape skins where left in the juice for a little while when they crushed the grapes.

Wine Fact #1:If it was a white sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France, it would be a Blanc de Noir (white from black, meaning white bubbly from black or red grapes , in this case Pinot Noir). The term Blanc de Blancs means (white from white, usually meaning white bubbly made from Chardonnay).

Wine Fact #2:The Aria’s second fermentation (the process that gives it the bubbles) is in the bottle. A little bit of yeast is put into each bottle and for the next 18 months the bottles are regularly turned slightly to keep the spent yeast from sticking to the side of the bottles and yucking things up, as they say in France.

Wine Fact #3:The term Brut is used to indicate sweetness or dryness, with Brut wines having less sugar and Sec wines containing more sugar.

It has a light delicate nose, a bit of baked bread from the yeast, a touch of strawberry jam. The bubbles dissipate quickly, almost too quickly.  The flavors are muted, it tastes of tart cherries, watermelon hard candy and a bit of a mineral edge. It is a dry wine, not too sweet, some of the value priced sparklers can get cloyingly sweet, but not this one. I like the Aria, for the price it’s outstanding. If I’m drinking bubbly on someone else’s dime, I think i would choose something farther up the sparkling wine food chain. But if I’m paying, this will do nicely.

Codorniu Cava Brut Pinot Noir

This was another fun sparkler to try. The more I drink bubbles the more I want to drink bubbles! I’m really enjoying learning more about sparkling wines, especially those that come from Cava.

Cava has often been called the Champagne of Spain. Their bubbles are made using the Champagne method and often produce some great sparklers. Prices are still low on these Cava wines making them a great value for the cheap wine drinker.

This picture doesn’t do the bottle justice. You’ll have to take my word for it that the packaging makes this wine more fun.

I thought this wine was nice but simple. Lots of tight bubbles coming of the glass. I got juicy raspberry flavors on the nose and mouth. Not to sweet, just juicy. Nice balance and flavor.

Price: $15
Vintage: NV
Varietal: Pinot Noir – Sparkling
Country: Cava, Spain
Cheap Wine Rating: 87

Buy it here: Morrell Wine

Shingleback Sparkling Shiraz Black Bubbles

Sparkling Shiraz is a new wine to me. They don’t usually sell for less than $20 a bottle. I think I paid $19.99 for this wine at my local shop but I did find it online for just under $19. Fortunately it makes the cut for this website.

Sparkling Shiraz isn’t your traditional sparkler but it sure is fun to drink. I had this bottle along with some of my favorite Virginia BBQ from Portlow Brothers. Great combination. You can drink this wine with BBQ or pizza or any other rich casual food.

Now on to the tasting notes. This is a solid wine. It has all the deep colors and flavors of a Australian Shiraz but also has the crisp freshness of a sparkling wine. I had this wine at a slightly chilled temperature and then at a colder temperature and liked it better when it was coldest. I picked up blackberry and deep red fruits on the mouth. It was very supple and smooth.

Price: $19
Vintage: 2005
Varietal: Sparkling Shiraz
Country: Australia
Cheap Wine Rating: 92

Buy it here: SandCreek Wine

Cristalino Brut Cava

Such a good wine.  This Cava has proven to be my favorite of all the cheap bubbles out there.  I’ve had this wine more than 5 different times.  I think the reason I keep buying it is it’s above average quality in an $8 bottle.  You can’t go wrong with that. After doing a little research I Read more

Gloria Ferrer Blanc De Noirs

This is one of three bottles of cheap bubbles I recently picked up at my local wine store. This sparkler was used for a special occasion and made the day that much better. In fact, the occasion may have bumped up my opinion of this wine in general. Sometimes that is hard to avoid.

The Blanc de Noirs is made of 92% Pinot and 8% Chardonnay. I tasted creamy cherry and strawberry in this wine. Its very well put together and smooth. The bubbles were tight and plenty. Good finish as well. Its currently on sale at wine.com for $13 which makes it a great value.

Price: $13
Vintage: NV
Varietal: Blanc de Noirs
Country: USA – CA
Cheap Wine Rating: 91

Buy it here: Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs

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