The Story The ALDI Monsigny Brut Champagne #3 is a non-vintage $19.99 ALDI exclusive, a blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, and 10% Chardonnay sourced from multiple vineyards in Champagne, France. It seems this is a brand name that ALDI owns and in the past several different Champagne Houses supply the Bubbly for ALDI….
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The Hacienda Methode Champenois Brut California Sparkling Wine is 100% Chardonnay sourced from vineyards in more than one California grape growing AVA. This is one of Bronco Wines (yes, the 2 Buck Chuck folks) over 100 wine brand labels, they have 18 different Sparkling wine labels. Bronco wines is a huge operation and virtually all…
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The Segura Viudas Brut Cava is a blend of 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada, and 15% Xarello (these are the grapes traditionally used in making Cava) sourced from vineyards in the Penedes district of the Catalonia region of Spain (near Barcelona). There has been an estate on the Segura Viudas property since the 1000s and grapes…
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The Berlucchi Franciacorta ’61 Brut is a blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir (which are also grapes traditionally used to make Champagne) sourced from vineyards located in the DOCG Franciacorta growing region of Lombardy in Northern Italy. The ’61 Brut is made with the Traditional Method (same as Champagne) and Berlucchi was the first…
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The Vickery Park Chardonnay Brut is an $8.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive sourced from Chardonnay grapes grown in vineyards located the Loire Valley and also a few select vineyards in the south of France. Vickery Park is an English wine company, their main brand is Griffith Park Sparkling wines which are sourced from Australian grapes….
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The Rack & Riddle Blanc de Blanc (White from White, meaning White wine made from Chardonnay grapes) is a non vintage Bubbly sourced from contracted vineyards in California’s North Coast AVA. The North Coast AVA encompasses 6 counties and 47 AVA’s, including Napa Valley, Sonoma and Mendocino. Rack & Riddle is a custom Sparkling wine…
Read MoreThe Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Rose’ Cava is a different take on Spanish Cava, instead of the usual combination of Xarel.Lo, Macabeo and Parellada, this Brut Rose’ is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Trepat, an indigenous Spanish Red grape that is mainly used in Rose’ blends. The grapes are purchased from the Cellars de Can…
Read MoreThe Anna De Codorniu Brut Cava is a little different from the usual value priced (I found it for $7.99, but it sells for up to $16 on the web) Cava’s on the market. Cava, traditionally, is a blend of three Spanish grapes, Xarel.lo, Macabeo and Parellada, the Anna De Codorniu is 70% Chardonnay (traditionally…
Read MoreThe Louise d’ Estre’e Brut Rose’ Sparkling wine is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. The wine is produced by Marcel Martin, who makes both still and Sparkling wines in the Loire Valley in France. Marcel Martin makes a Brut Rose’ Cremant under his own label (Cremant = Sparkling wine, it can only be called Champagne if…
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The Gerard Bertrand Cremant de Limoux is a French Sparkling wine consisting of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc and 10% Mauzac (Mauzac is the local white grape that goes into all Limoux Bubbly) sourced from vineyards located in the Limoux AOC of the Languedoc in southern France. Limoux is where Sparkling wine was first produced…
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The Hacienda Brut Sparkling Wine is a non vintage Bubbly sourced from more than one California grape growing AVA, and consists of 86% Chardonnay, 8% Colombard and 6% Mixed Whites (I don’t know why they say Mixed Whites rather than just listing the grapes). This Sparkling wine is made in the Methode Champenoise, which is…
Read MoreThe Domaine Saint Vincent Rose’ is Gruet Winery’s entry level Sparkling wine. 100% Pinot Noir sourced from the same New Mexico vineyards used for Gruet Sparkling wine. Saint Vincent is the Patron Saint of winemakers. Made in the Methode Champenoise style, the same way Champagne is produced (2nd fermentation in the bottle) and aged for…
Read MoreThe Domaine Ste Michelle Blanc de Blancs (translates to white from white, meaning white wine from white grapes, usually Chardonnay; Blanc de Noir is white wine from red grapes, usually Pinot Noir) Sparkling wine sourced from grapes grown in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington. This bubbly was made with the Traditional Method, the same…
Read MoreThe 2007 Saint-Hilaire Grand Cuvee is a Sparkling wine estate grown and bottled in the Blanquette de Limoux AOC located in the Languedoc in southwest France. In 1531, Sparkling wine/Champagne was first produced by the monks at the Abbey Saint-Hilaire, Dom Perignon wasn’t born until 1638, so Champagne was not invented in Champagne. The Sparkling…
Read MoreThe Pierre Sparr Cremant Brut Rose’ is 100% Pinot Noir sourced from vineyards near the villages of Molsheim, Kintzheim and Sigolsheim in the Alsace Region of France. First fermentation takes place in steel tanks for 6 months, then second fermentation (adding bubbles) takes place inside each individual bottle, Methode Champagne, for 18 months. Wine and…
Read MoreThe Trader Joe’s Reserve North Coast Brut Sparkling Wine ($9.99) is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir (a Blanc de Noir) sourced from grapes grown in California’s North Coast. The North Coast encompasses 50 different AVA’s, with the main growing areas being Sonoma, Napa Valley and Mendocino. Made by Rack and Riddle, the only custom…
Read MoreThe Gruet Brut Rose is a nonvintage Sparkling wine made from 100% Pinot Noir grown at Estate vineyards near the town of Engle, 170 miles south of Albuquerque, in New Mexico. They add 2% still (no bubbles) Pinot Noir to give the wine a pink hue. This Sparkler is made in the Methode Champenoise process,…
Read MoreThe Jaume Serra Cristalino Extra Dry Cava is sourced from Estate vineyards in the Alt Penedes growing region in Spain. This Sparkling wine uses the traditional Cava grapes, 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada and 15% Xarel.lo. Cava uses the same second fermentation method (that is where the bubbles are added) as Champagne and this Cava is aged for…
Read MoreThe Albero Cava Brut is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive, sourced from certified organic grapes (CCPAE SPAIN) grown on the Estate vineyards of Bogedas Iranzo (Spain’s oldest Estate vineyards, founded 1335) which is located in the Penedes DO near Barcelona by the Mediterranean Sea. The grapes used, Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo are the traditional grapes…
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