Beyond Champagne: Sparkling Wine For New Year’s Eve
by Cole Swanson
December 29, 2024
New Year's Eve is a time of reflection, when we ponder how this year has made a mark on our lives and why it was so long and short at the same time. Hopefully we all can surround ourselves with friends and family and consider the past 365 days and what may happen during the next, while realizing gratitude for being by the sides of loved ones. We celebrate by sharing food and drinks because so few other things in life bring people together; and there is one drink that best adds to this amalgamation of joy – sparkling wine.
The pop of the cork and dancing bubbles matches the mood so fantastically, which is why it’s important during this season of celebration to decide which type of sparkling wine will best encapsulate the mood.
There is much more to consider than just Champagne, though, yes, its reputation can precede itself, and Prosecco is for sure a nice crowd pleaser with its stereotypical off-dry profile. But all over the world, sparkling wine is created – Cava, Spain; the Loire Valley, France; Kent and Sussex, England. Additionally, and most importantly, just because the wine is expensive doesn’t mean you’ll like it.
What differentiates these sparklers from each other are the grapes used, the location in which they are grown, and the production styles. Not all sparkling wines taste the same, and not all are made the same.
Cava
Like Champagne, Cava is made the same method and is also a region, specifically in Penedes, Spain along the Mediterranean coast near Barcelona. It is because of this location that Cava differs from Champagne. The climate here is warmer due to the Mediterranean influence and produces sparkling wines with more body and stone fruit as well as minerality and savory notes. Cava also utilizes different grapes than Champagne: Xarel.lo, Macabeo, and Parellada.
There are four levels of quality, each following different grape growing and minimum lees aging requirements, and are labeled as such: Cava, Reserva, Gran Reserva, and Cava de Paraje Calificado, with the last three categories producing only 13% of all Cava.
Aged for at least 9 months on the lees
Notes of apple, pear, citrus, and honey, with a long finish that has a touch of ginger. As a “brut,” it is the most common style of sparkling wine, and has 9g/L of residual sugar, which adds fullness to the body. Easy and approachable to drink without needing to let the wine age, as is the case with all bulk wines.
Located in Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, the hub of Cava, Freixenet is one the largest producers of Cava world-wide. Labeled as “Cava,” the Negro Brut is their flagship Cava, and is sold in over 140 countries.
Average Price Online: $23.99
50% Xarel·lo 35% Macabeu 15% Parellada
Average age of the vines: 25 years
Lees aging: 36 months
Fruity, fresh apple character, with white flowers, and Mediterranean aromatic plants, such as rosemary and hints of lightly toasted bread and nuts and dried fruits.
Regenerative farming practices were used for this Gran Reserva, in addition to maintaining low yields – pruning the vines so the grapes that were eventually harvested were more concentrated with flavor. In the winery, winemakers utilized freerun juice, or juice from the first pressing of grapes.
When used, freerun is considered to produce wines of the highest quality of the whole batch. Brut nature means there is no added sugar after the second fermentation, such is the case with brut. This results in a very crisp palate, while the longer lees aging provides complex flavors and weight to the body that may otherwise come from added sugar.
Prosecco
Prosecco, too, is a region, and is known as Prosecco DOC, the area of which is between Veneto and Friuli in northern Italy. Most Prosecco is made exclusively from the white grape Glera, and all Prosecco is made by using the “thank method.” Like Champagne and Cava, this wine undergoes two fermentations, but instead of the second being in the bottle, it happens in a sealed tank. The result: little to no lees aging or bread-y flavors.
Prosecco is meant to be fresh and vibrant. However, that does not mean it is of low quality. Within the Prosecco DOC, the area of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG produces incredibly high quality styles known as “Superiore,” with the top tiers labeled as Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Cartizze DOCG and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rive DOCG. These come from the best sites in the entirety of the region and produce Prosecco of such high quality they’ll make you reconsider your notions of this sparkling wine.
Location: Treviso DOC, Veneto
Grapes: 100% Glera
Style: Brut
Aromas of golden apples, lemon, honey, and white peach. It can be drunk on its own or used in cocktails, such as an Aperol Spritz.
Average Price Online: $24.99
Location: Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
Grapes: 90% Glera, 10% Chardonnay
Style: Brut
Lees aging: 5 months
Intense florality on the nose, like a bright bouquet of flowers. A rich and creamier texture on the palate thanks to lees aging, though the bready notes are hidden. The florality from the aromas come alive when tasting in addition to pear and golden delicious apple.
Loire Valley, France
Cremant de Loire is often considered to be a high quality alternative to Champagne at a more affordable price.
Cremant refers to any French sparkling wine that mimics the production style of Champagne, but is created outside of Champagne, such as the Loire Valley. This region is the largest producer of sparkling wine in France next to Champagne, and all of their wine production is within the areas of Anjou-Saumur and Touraine. It is in these regions that the highest quality grapes are grown for the production of sparkling, such as Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay. It is Chenin Blanc, however, that helps these wines stand apart. Crisp and bright like riesling but with a fuller body like Chardonnay, and with distinct flavors of quince, chamomile, apple, as well as toast when made into a cremant.
Average Price Online: $23.99
Location: Saumur
Grapes: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet France
Style: Brut
Lees Aging: 18 months
Aromas of flowers, pear, green apple, bright lemon, minerality, salinity, as well as bread-y notes, which is the result of the 18 months of lees ageing. Bouvet began making wine in 1851, and has since become one of the most renowned producers of Cremant de Loire, sourcing grapes from the best growers in the Loire Valley.
Location: Saumur
Grapes: 65% Chenin blanc, 20% Chardonnay, 15% Cabernet franc
Style: Brut
Lees ageing: 18 months
Notes of ripe, sweet apple, pear, and peach are balanced by high acidity and minerality, alongside bread-y characteristics.
England
Who would have thought, huh, England making exceptional sparkling wines? They are able to craft their wines with the classic varieties of Champagne – Pinot Noir, Pinot Munier, and Chardonnay – thanks to the increasing temperatures of the region over the past few decades. This warmer climate and very sunny conditions keep this area dry and free of rain, and the soils allow for England to create complex wines that compete with true Champagne – the bar everyone is trying to match.
Location: Kent, England
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
This sparkler presents lime blossom with notes of honey, citrus, and white pepper. A fine finish of salinity and bread-y notes add to the complexity.
Balfour Winery is only 20 years old, but has already gained a magnificent reputation of quality and viticultural practice. Much of their grapes are sourced from single-vineyard plots, which results in each bottling having its own unique character. These vineyards encompass 200 of their total 400 acres of land, the rest of which is home to wildlife, apple orchards, wildflower meadows and ancient oak woodland.
Location: Sussex
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Muller Thurgau
This wine presents great florality and brioche notes that harmonize with zesty citrus, honeysuckle and elderflower. Well-balanced and delicate, this wine finishes with a hint of sweetness.
Beginning in 1972, The Bolney Estate was one of the first wineries to open in West Sussex. Since then, they have won multiple awards, such as 2017 Winery of the Year by UK Wine Awards, while increasing their annual production to 500,000 bottles.