Sparkling Wine
The best parties start with bubbles, right?! I’m diving deep into the wonderful world of sparkling wine, covering everything from the major styles and categories to grape growing for bubbly to winemaking techniques, and the famed regions that make it.
You’ll also find fun lifestyle content with tips on service, glassware, accessories, aging, food pairing, and gifting. Plus, I add new sparkling wine recommendations all the time. Cheers! - Montana Rae, Sommelier
When I come across a sparkling wine that has it all, I have to share it. Handley Estate Vineyard Brut Rosé 2016 is a fine blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made in the champagne method. The grapes are certified organic and the winery was founded by a trailblazer of a lady, Milla Handley back in the 1980s. A stunning sparkling rosé, this bottle comes to Denver through the distribution portfolio of Master Sommelier, Doug Krenik.
If you’ve experienced a funky, dare I say stinky, natural wine in the past you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the clean style of Obsidian Wine Co’s ‘Pezsgő’ Pinot Noir Pet Nat. The aromas burst out of the glass with notes of Christmas cranberry, Bing cherry, and Goji berry. Delicious.
To create the first release of Portlandia Sparkling Rosé, the winemaking team created a blend of Syrah and Chardonnay. The Chardonnay provides a linear, high-acid structure and imparts notes of Meyer lemon and white flowers while the Syrah brings depth, complexity, and a mouthfeel that made me do a double take the first time I tried it. To say the least, the wine punches above its $20 price point.
This iconic sparkling wine is crafted by Whitehall Lane Winery in Napa Valley using fruit from the Petaluma Gap A.V.A. of Sonoma. Made of 100% Pinot Noir and made in the same method as Champagne, this bubbly offers fine a mousse and creamy texture on the palate. You’ll taste notes of melon, nectarine, Rainier cherry, and pomegranate with a long, mouthwatering finish.
The Portlandia Brut Blanc de Blancs Sparkling is not a wine of Oregon but from Washington State. This departure from the brand’s typical stomping grounds in Willamette Valley did not disappoint! At just under $20 a bottle, I was delighted to see it is made using the traditional Champagne method, or Méthode Champenoise. Sparkling wines made this way demand a high level of hands-on effort by the winery and many months to produce.