The Cellar: Bubbles for Everyone
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Friday, December 30, 2016
Steffen Rasch, GoLocalWorcester Wine Writer
New Years Eve is this Saturday and regardless of your budget you deserve to welcome the New Year with bubbles. Thankfully sparkling wines are made in all kinds of styles, all over the world and to fit every wallet. If you are having a bunch of people over and looking for something on the less expensive side I suggest sparkling wines such as Spanish Cavas or Italian Proseccos. On the other end of the spectrum, for those of you who are celebrating NYE in a more intimate settings, I suggest splurging on something special.
For the party attendees I will be pouring Prosecco. Zonin has a series of sparkling wines out this season that are sure to please. Made from the Glera and Pinot Grigio grapes the ‘Grey Edition Spumante Brut’ is made through a process called Charmat where half of the pressed juice undergoes an initial fermentation at a controlled temperature, while the remaining half is blended as it is transferred into pressurized stainless steel tanks where the wine is made sparkling as the carbon is trapped and infused into the wine. The result is a great sparkling wine; fruity and aromatic with flavors of stone fruit, apples and pears. It is light on the palate making it good as an aperitif or paired against creamy soups.
At midnight I will be popping an iconic bottle of Champagne. The Non-Vintage
Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve; a multi-vintage Champagne made from a house blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The grapes are sourced from approximately 60 farmers with whom Heidsieck has long-standing contracts. Most non-vintage Bruts are actually blends of vintage juice and reserve wine (in this case 60/40), with the aged reserved wine often being more than 10 years old. After blending the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation inside the bottle, which creates the bubbles, and aging on the lees - in the case of the Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve for more than 5 years.
The resulting wine is absolutely gorgeous! The rich, ripe and somewhat candied flavors are complimented by intense bubbles, hints of toast and minerality with lingering acidity on the finish. This truly is a complete sparkling wine. While not inexpensive - $60ish - this wine is worth every penny on this special occasion.
Happy New Year!
Steffen Rasch is a Certified Sommelier and Specialist of Wine. Learn about wine in person by signing up for one of his tastings at the Providence Wine Academy.
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