Great value sparkling wines for the Christmas season
(This article was first published on ISSUU.COM – Read the full article on Harpendia Christmas Magazine 2020
Christmas is well and truly knocking at the door. Whist this year certainly has been unlike any other, Christmas is definitely NOT cancelled. It is time for movie marathons, a few glasses of eggnog, and hanging baubles on the Christmas tree. If you are anything like me, Christmas is all about the food and wine. And whilst I cannot help you with the extra cooking or long lines in the supermarket, I can add some magic and sparkle to your wine choices over this festive period.
What sparkling wines should I buy for Christmas?
I don’t know about you, but Christmas fizz is a must and the indulgence of a glass of Champagne, with its toasted brioche notes, creamy texture and super fine bubbles certainly leaves you feeling light-hearted and joyful.
However, there are many budget friendly options that will still leave you feeling bouncy and light.
Prosecco from Italy has over the last decade risen to crazy fame for its fun, fruity and approachable flavours. It appears to have a little extra sweetness in comparison to Champagne, so if you are after a dry style, do look out for the words BRUT on a label. This is not made in the same way as Champagne, hence why it is much cheaper. It is created with the ‘Charmat method’ in a tank. Therefore, you will not get the bready, nutty flavours, nor will the bubbles be as fine, but it is a true crowd pleaser. Think of melon aromas, pear and honeysuckle. To be extra luxurious this Christmas, look out for a Prosecco Superiore DOCG. These wines come from a hilly area, the two villages of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene where the grapes are very high quality and provide the wine with much more finesse. For the crème de la crème, look out for Cartizze DOCG which is the one Grand Cru site within these two villages that will produce a refined, elegant Prosecco with the greatest intensity and purity of fruit.
Now if you are after those rich, biscuity flavours of Champagne, look for a sparkling wine that states on the bottle words such as TRADITIONAL METHOD, METODO CLASSICO or METODO TRADICIONAL. My favourite value options are Crémant, Cava and MCC. If you want to know more about these 3 then click here.
Now English Sparkling wine deserves its own mention; however I sadly cannot put this into the budget category. If you didn’t already know, we certainly are a contender for the title of World’s Best Sparkling Wine Producer. Many of our vineyards are planted on the same chalky soils as Champagne, and as global warming has certainly put fear into many of the wine producing regions of France, it has quite clearly worked a certain magic for us. Global recognition dates back as far as the 1993 vintage of Nyetimber Classic Cuvee, which won the title Best Sparkling Wine in the World in the International Wine and Spirit Competition against 43 other countries. The quality of wine has only got better since then, with our best British fizz regularly winning Platinum and Gold awards in international wine competitions, very often beating the French. Maybe that’s why Pommery and Taittinger both have planted vineyards here, and these are just the first of the Champagne Houses to cross the border. I implore you to go down this magical path of home-grown fizz. You will not be disappointed, and you will be joining the English Wine Movement, just as it teeters on the edge of wine world domination.
Now whatever you are tucking into this Crimbo, as much as I think I could survive the whole time with sparkling wine, it certainly is a nice idea to have a selection of versatile wines, and ones that won’t break the bank. After all, we are here to eat, drink and be merry.
So as to take out the complications for you, I have teamed up with Davys Wine Merchants to bring you a special Christmas box filled with some of my favourite value wines, to help you enjoy a plentiful and pleasurable Joyeux Noël.
Click here for this years Christmas wine offer. Mixed case of six bottles was £95.20 now £75.00 with free delivery*
