Make Your Holiday Sparkle!

It's the end of another year. It flies by so fast, doesn't it? The holiday season is the perfect time to stop for a moment and celebrate your family, your health, your prosperity.

And what is a celebration without a bit of bubbly? While most people know that Champagne is only from France, there are numerous sparkling wine options for your holiday celebrations this year.

 The classic way to make sparkling wines is the méthode champenoise, or the traditional method, which is creating a secondary fermentation in the bottle. This secondary fermentation produces those CO2 bubbles that we love to watch in the glass and feel on our tongues – those bubbles.

Here's a little breakdown of what sparklers are out there.

 Champagne

Of course, this classic wine heralds from Champagne, France and is made using the méthode champenoise with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Popular belief is that Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk, invented Champagne, but it has been documented that Christopher Merret, a physician and scientist, developed this secondary fermentation some 40 years before Dom Perignon. Regardless, our beloved monk has contributed greatly to what Champagne is today. Some great producers are Moët & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot and Piper Heidsieck.

 Sparkling Wines

Most sparkling wines are made in the same way, using the traditional method. Sparkling wines can be found all over, from the United States to Australia and New Zealand. Many Champagne houses, such as Mumm and Roederer, have opened up facilities in the States and create some fantastic sparkling wines with grapes grown right here in the U.S. Some other producers include Schramsberg and J Vineyards (both CA), and Lindauer (New Zealand).

 Cava

Inspired by Champagne in the late 1800s, Cavas are also made using the méthode champenoise. Made all over Spain, but mainly in the Penedes region, these bubblies are made from one or more of five grape varieties: parellada, xarel-lo, macabeo, chardonnay and subirat (malvasia). Some Cava producers to know: Codorniu, Segura Viudas and Freixenet.

 Prosecco

Prosecco is made using the charmat or metodo italiano method, where the grape must go through secondary fermentation in the tank, not in the bottle. The town of Prosecco is located in the Veneto region of Italy. The Prosecco grape is what this bubbly is made from. Prosecco producers to look out for: Adriano Adami, Mionetto and Nino Franco.
 
 I suggest you try each of these sparklers this season and see which you like best. What is New Year's without a kiss at midnight and a little sparkling to celebrate? Cheers to bubbles and a happy, healthy New Year.