Something to Celebrate

Five years ago, on 7 October 2006, I wrote my first blog post after going wine shopping. Here we are, more than 714, 000 visitors later. As with most things in life there have been ups and downs, some bumps in the road, and some unexpected miracles which led to unexpected hiatuses in posting. Thanks for sticking by me through thick (when I wrote a post a day) and thin (when I wrote no posts for months) and everything in between (like now, when I'm doing my level best to post every Monday and Thursday--or in this case, Sunday and Thursday).

Since a 5th Year Anniversary is something to celebrate, today I've got a round-up of under $20 sparklers for you. They come from Italy, France, and Austria. And because they're affordable you don't need any particular excuse to buy one and open it just because it's Monday!

2009 Weingut Markus Huber Zweigelt Hugo ($18, domaineLA; available in market for $16-$17) A nice choice in sparkling roses under $20, this is made with Zweigelt, and has distinctive strawberry aromas and flavors. Very yeasty (almost beery) in terms of the carbonation, this is a more rustic sparkling wine perfect for charcuterie or a plate of grilled sausages. Very good QPR.

N.V. Clos de La Briderie Crémant de Loire Brut Pureté de Silex ($15, domaineLA; available in market for $16-$19) Very good for the price, this wine is made with Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon under biodynamic growing protocols. The color is rose-gold, and the bubbles are medium-sized and long-lasting. Crisp citrus flavors are paired with richer notes of bread dough and toast. Even Champagne lovers will be impressed with the quality and depth of flavor for $15. Excellent QPR.

N.V. Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry (under $20 at domaineLA; available in market for $14-$18) Clean lemon and lemon-blossom aromas and flavors, and the bead is quite small, which makes for a fun, frothy Prosecco that is good enough to be had on its own as opposed to mixing into Bellinis. Very good QPR.

N.V. Voveti Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene (suggested retail, $17; available in market for $12-$15) Greenish in color with small bubbles. this wine is part of a new venture in wine making from a Spanish/Italian team. The partnership really shines in this wine which has the apply/bready notes of Spanish sparklers and the citrusy notes of prosecco without any bitterness or excessive yeastiness. Crisp, but can stand up to food especially vegetables and fish. Very good QPR.

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of the Voveti for possible review.

A Bargain in Bubbles: Zonin Prosecco

I'm sliding in a weekend post--a recommendation for bargain bubbles in case you have something to celebrate. When a wine is this enjoyable and this affordable, I figure finding a reason to celebrate is pretty easy. Did you finish your laundry? Clean out the TiVO? Wash dishes?

If so, treat yourself to a bottle of the NV Zonin Prosecco (suggested retail around $14, but available for $8-$18 in the market). This is a new bottling for Zonin, which already makes a popular "Special Cuvee" and "Brut" Prosecco. I really enjoyed this wine in part because it was a hair off-dry, which made for a wine that tasted soft with aromas and flavors of honeyed apple. There are some zngy tangerine peel notes in the aftertaste, which only added to the attractions for me.

This was a nicely-priced, thoroughly enjoyable, not-too-serious sipper of a Prosecco that you can enjoy before dinner or with dessert without guilt or stress. Very good QPR all around.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Veneto Wine, Sweet and Sparkling

This month I actually managed to find a sparkling wine and a dessert wine to add to my tastings of wine from Italy's Veneto region.

Though many Italian regions produce sweet wine, fewer produce sparklers. Though you might not know it, Prosecco--Italy's best known sparkling wine--is made in the Veneto. I wanted to try a Prosecco that I wasn't familiar with and selected the NV Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene (K&L Wines, $16.99; available elsewhere for $14-$17). Made by a pair of viticultural sisters, it was a clean, bright wine that was very pale in color. Aromas of lemon and lemon blossom made a fresh first impression, and the medium-large bead was equally refreshing. The emphasis in the flavors were lemon juice, with a touch of pink grapefruit. This was a simple, citrusy Prosecco and qualified as good QPR given its enjoyable freshness.

In the sweet wine department, I tried the 2006 Maculan Dindarello (Bristol Farms, $21.99/375ml; available elsewhere for $15-$19) This was an absolutely delicious dessert wine made with Moscato grapes, its sweetness and acidity in excellent balance. There were aromas of orange peel and pineapple, and the flavors were equally tropical and full of pineapple. The aftertaste developed a touch of coconut and brown sugar in the juicy aftertaste. Excellent QPR for a wine that reminded me of Sauternes in both taste and texture.