Sparkling Wine is SEX IN A GLASS
Here’s an idea for your next fun date night: Line up three or four glasses of sparkling wine, and taste them blind. Don’t fuss over the shape or style of the glasses. Hide the bottles, or put them in brown paper bags as you pour. Taste one wine at a time, and decide which one each of you likes best. Then enjoy the ta-da moment of the big reveal, or draw it out one wine at a time. Compare notes on what you liked best and what they liked best.
What makes this a fun date night?
Not sure about you, but if someone barely even mentions bubbles in wine, I start to giggle. If you’re my date, you’re off to a good start.
A second reason is that tasting sparkling wine “blind,” which only means not knowing the origin or maker or vintage of the wine, sets the stage for adventure and exploration. As in, “I had no idea they make sparkling wine in South Africa. Have you ever visited there?” Or, “This sparkling wine from the mountains of Italy is my favorite. Are you ‘mountains’ or ‘beach’?” Or, “I love that this non-alc sparkling wine lets everybody in on the fun. Did you ever experiment with ‘Sober October’ or ‘Dry January’?” Think of each wine as an opportunity for conversation, which means learning more about your date, which gives them a chance to reciprocate and learn more about you.
Which is sexy.
The third reason that blind-tasting sparkling wines is a fun date night leads directly from the reason above: There are a lot of options, from place of origin like South Africa, Italy, the US, Spain, England, Germany, Canada and Australia, all the way to varying styles far beyond the market-dominant Champagne and Prosecco. Venture out to Crémant, Franciacorta, non-alc, Trentodoc, Cap Classique, Pétillant Naturel, Lambrusco and Sekt.
Give it a whirl. You will not be bored, I promise.
The easiest thing to do, when it comes to choosing the wines in your line-up, is to head over to your favorite wine shop and just browse the sparkling wine area. Notice what interests you. Look beyond the packaging. Pick up some bottles, and turn them around. See what the “real estate” on the back label has to say. Mix and match, or else choose a set of wines from the same area or style. It’s up to you, to follow whatever you find compelling. That reason in itself is a great place to start the conversation.
Now I’ll pass it over to Matthew for some specific recommendations.
Let me just tell it like it is. BUBBLES ARE PURE SEX. Opening Champagne or Sparkling Wine is a full body experience. From the pressure exuding out of the bottle, to the noise made when the cork pops, to the sound of it being poured and the gorgeous fizz as it hits the glass. The wine settles into a perfect stream of bubble beads from the bottom of the glass up to the mousse that forms as the bubbles dissipate. If you look hard enough, you'll find a panty dropper behind every Champagne cork. Want to feel inspired? Here is a list of sparkling wines I recommend you get in your glass, stat.
Allimant-Laugner Brut Rosé Crémant d'Alsace, France Non-Vintage - Crémant d'Alsace presents an incredible value for the quality in the bottle! Allimant-Laugner crafts one of the sexiest brut rosés year-in and year-out made from 100% Pinot Noir from the village of Orschwiller. They are in process of building a new cellar to house their sparkling wine production because it's grown so much over the last decade! Put on some baby making music, get these bubbles in a glass, and vibe.
Venturi-Schulze Pinot Auxerrois Brut Naturel Vancouver Island, Canada 2015 - If you didn't know they made wine on Vancouver Island, don't worry, most people don't. There have been big investments made on the Island recently, and Venturi-Schulze have been a mainstay for 3 decades crafting natural wines and making balsamic vinegar like total champions. Canadian wine is getting more and more love south of their border, we are finally catching onto the badass work they've been doing for years. Vancouver Island is easy to visit from Vancouver, and will round out your visit to the stunning British Columbia. It may inspire you to spend a little extra time in the hotel room with your partner ;)
460 Casina Bric Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC Spumante Brut Nature Piemonte, Italy 2018 - Made in Serralunga d'Alba among some of the most famous wineries in Barolo, the Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC Spumante Brut Nature is one of Gianluca Viberti's biggest passion projects. Sparkling wine has a long history in Piemonte, but crafting a top quality spumante from Nebbiolo d'Alba was a dream, and now a serious reality. The delicate fruit, soft bubbles, and elegant color make it an obvious example of pure sex in a glass.
Belle Joli Brut Rosé Sturgis, South Dakota Non-Vintage - From a sea of fruit wines and semi-dry options comes a serious sparkling wine from a very sophisticated couple growing grapes in Sturgis, South Dakota as well as Belle Fourche about 30 minutes away. It's a blend of local fruit as well as some sourced from Oregon, and all the elaboration is done on site at the winery. You sip on their patio overlooking the vineyard, from there you can see the Sturgis hill-sign, then walk inside to see the A-frames and Gyropalette behind the looking glass giving you the confidence they know what they are doing in the Black Hills. All the hills and lakes are a huge turn on, and the Brut Rosé will only amplify the mood.
Valtea Albariño Brut Nature Rías Baixas, Spain Non-Vintage - Albariño is a killer wine for the summer, going with all things tinned fish and salty cheeses. But make it using the traditional method and make it sparkling, and it truly comes alive! Tart apple fruit, kaffir lime leaf, wet stone, and a hint of sage. Light up a smelly candle, pop the cork, and watch the clothing melt away.
