Ep 198 - Make Your Holidays Sparkling

With the holidays just around the corner, we have some sparkling wine recommendations to take the guess work out of selecting wines.

Big thanks to our friends at Palm Bay International and Taub Family Selections for providing us with samples for this episode. Although these wines were provided to us, the opinions and tasting notes in this episode are our own.

 

Budget Friendly Wines

Villa Marcello Millesimato Prosecco DOC Brut NV - priced around $17.

• Villa Marcello Prosecco DOC hails from the province of Treviso, one of the finest growing regions of Prosecco.
• Grapes: 85% Glera, 15% Pinot Bianco
• Light aromas and flavors of apple blossom, lemon, and dried hay
• This wine doesn’t have bread or yeasty notes - it’s fruity and floral, very delicate and elegant wine

Pere Ventura Tresor Brut Cava - priced around $16. 

• This Cava is a Reserva which means it’s aged 15 months on the lees the same as non-vintage Champagne 
• Light aromas of nectarines, fresh sage, minerality and yeasty notes
• Flavors of nectarines, fresh sage, white flowers and minerality
• Although we get a hint of breadiness in the nose, this wine is still very crisp and fruity
• We enjoyed this wine with a nice aged Gouda cheese but also would go with appetizers, hard cheeses, fried foods, and Asian cuisine

Something different

Ackerman Crémant de Loire Sparkling Cuvée 1811 Blanc Brut - priced around $22. 

• The name of this wine comes from its beginnings. Ackerman was established in 1811 in the small town of Saumur in the heart of France's Loire Valley by Jean-Baptiste Ackerman.
• Blend of 70% Chenin Blanc, 20 % Chardonnay, 10% Cabernet Franc and each variety is made into wine separately in view of maintaining its typical features up until blending at the end of winter.
• This wine has light aromas of golden apples, white flowers and a hint of breadiness
• We got flavors of golden apples, peaches, lemon oil and white flowers
• Very fruit wine that we thought it paired really well with blue cheese
• We think that this is a unique blend of grapes that people might not be as familiar with.

Altemasi Brut, Trento DOC - priced around $24.

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