Pop, pop, fizz, fizz, oh what a seasonal delight is it!
Of course, the big-C Champagne producers, who literally bank on the exclusivity conveyed by their limited area of production in France’s northeast, would have us drinking the stuff almost daily, not just for New Year’s and locker-room celebrations.
If budget wasn’t an issue, I’d have to say I agree with them. Champagne is an incredibly versatile wine, one that can even work with steak, especially if you find — and afford — a vintage bottle with a little age on it.
While cost is a genuine concern to most of us, a retreat to flabby Prosecco isn’t the only solution. Options abound. The best of them, not surprisingly, come from France itself. And, perhaps surprising to some, from Spain.
Remember these two words: Cava and Cremant. Bubbles to bubbles, and dollars to dollars, they match up nicely — at least around the $20 price point.
Let’s start with Cava since it’s a less complex designation in many ways. Many of us of a certain age will remember Freixenet in the black bottle, a sparkling stalwart for decades now. It was what we brought to a party when we wanted to feel a little sophisticated without breaking the bank. Widely available for under $9, it’s entry-level Cava, from the Penedes region south of Barcelona at its bargain best.
Like all Cavas, it’s made exactly as the wine is in France’s champagne region, with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The major difference is in grape composition and designations connoting age in the bottle. Reserva Cava represents a minimum of 18 months aging, for example, and Gran Reserva a minimum of 30. While Champagne consists of variations on the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier theme, Cava generally is made from grapes most have never heard of: Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo.
With the assistance of Heidi Holcomb Rinehart at Central Market’s wine department, we picked the Navaran Brut 2021 Vintage — vintage Cavas being a relative rarity — at $18.99 to taste for this article. However, labels such as Juve & Camps are also good at the same relative price point.
The tasting panel of three found this elegant sparkler to be pleasantly dry on a nose — something that betrayed just a hint of the small amount of organic Chardonnay the winemaker uses. The bubbles were sharp and fine, and there was a sensation of creamy fruit and a touch of spice on the palate, though nothing stood out.
It was, we decided, a thoroughly sophisticated, black-tie bubbly. For just a little more money, also check out the Raventos i Blanc from a producer that has withdrawn from the Cava designation to allow more flexibility in composition. Take any of the above to a party and be thought of as bubbly baller: nobody needs to know how little you spent.
For an event with a more flexible dress code, metaphorically speaking, the panel recommends the general category of Cremants. They’re basically Champagne-like sparkling wines made in France and Alsace outside the confines of Champagne proper. As a result, each Cremant is uniquely representative of the region in which it’s produced. The winemaking process may be the same, but the grapes differ widely.
Central Market’s Holcomb Rinehart pointed us toward two: Langlois Brut Cremant de Loire ($19.95) and Domaine Michel Fonne René Barth Cremant d’Alsace ($21.99). Crafted from Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, the Cremant d’Alsace offered hints of ripe apple and pear. It also had a tad more fruit and body than the Cava, making it a more food flexible.
As with the Cava, there wasn’t much of a lingering finish, but then who’s interested in finish at a party, as long as the bubbles caress the tongue? Among other Alsace Cremants to consider, look for the always-dependable Lucien Albrecht , which also comes in a pretty — in all senses — rosé version.
Cremants are also made in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Limoux in the Languedoc. Each serves as an effervescent version of the regions’ better-known still wines. There’s not a blend I know of in the Loire that comes anywhere close to that of The Langlois Brut, but perhaps there should be. Chenin Blanc, a stalwart of the region, is the major player here, supported by Chardonnay and another Loire favorite, Cabernet Franc. It’s this Cab Franc that gives the bubbly a backbone that supports creamy citrus and herbal aromas and flavors.
Not that you need to discuss any of this while attacking a spicy shrimp cocktail, a pimento cheese ball or a platter of hand-made tamales. You are allowed to feel a little smug in your knowledge, however.
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This article appears in Dec 13-26, 2023.