ADVERTISING: Advertorial — The state of bubbles

Not all wine consumers like Champagne and sparkling wine, but most wine consumers like really good Champagne and sparkling wine. That is a key distinction. The intended implication is that like everything in the wine world there are really fabulous and delicious wines with bubbles and there are a lot of not so fabulous wines with bubbles. It seems to me both as a wine consumer, one who really likes “bubbly,” and as a wine professional that there are places that lend themselves to growing grapes for sparkling wines, and other places that don’t. There are winemakers who are really good at making sparkling wine, and others who should not be attempting the task of producing world class sparkling.

So, as wine consumers where and who should you look to for the best “bubbly” you can get for your budget? The making of Champagne and sparkling wine involves a very specific and fairly technical skill set, those that are good at it have honed their skills over many years. This is not to say that some new folks can’t get in the game and make really good wine, but as wine consumers first, we want to see them prove their abilities to some degree prior to buying the wines.

There are also regions where the climatic conditions are better suited for growing grapes to be used in the manufacture of sparkling wine. Champagne and sparkling wine grapes are harvested less ripe with higher acids to create that crisp and clean sparkling wine profile. The grapes are better suited therefore when they come from cooler areas. The grape varietals that prefer these same weather conditions therefore are the ones you see most frequently used in sparkling wines, grapes like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and other cool climate stalwarts spring to mind.

Champagne, not surprisingly, is the first region many of us should focus on for the very best wines. In order to be called Champagne the grapes must be grown in the Champagne region and the wines must be made there. The name and the region exist just for the purpose of making these delightful wines. It is the best place to start. Other cool regions around France though also produce some terrific bubbly.

When the wine from these “other” French regions are made like Champagne they are called Crémant, and the best ones come from similarly cool regions. There are great wines made in Burgundy just to the south of Champagne as there are in Alsace in the Northeastern corner of France close to Germany that are among some of our favorite French sparklings. The area around Limoux, which is better known for production of ceramics, is another that should not be overlooked.

When it comes to domestic bubbly the best regions in our opinion are those in Northern California specifically Napa and Sonoma where the weather is not only cool enough to produce the great raw materials for the wines, but the diurnal shifts in temperatures are pronounced enough to create that awesome balance between sugars and acids. Similarly, there are great sparkling wines that come out of the Willamette Valley of Oregon where ideal conditions also exist. Much of the rest of the grape growing regions of California and the Northwest are simply too hot for the delicate nature required of grapes destined for use in the manufacture of sparkling.

Spain and Italy also have some fabulous sparkling producers. Cava from Spain as well as Franciacorta and Prosecco from Italy all have wineries and vineyards producing some delightful wines that can stand up to the best that come from France.

When it comes to producers our focus remains on those that have been doing it for a long time. There is much in the wine press lately about winemakers “trying” their hand at making bubbly. We feel as noted above that the skills involved in making sparkling wine are specialized, complex and technical. The winemaking involved is not something that readily lends itself to a hobby, a one off or something you just try at. Producers like the Taittingers, Mumm, Moet and Chandon and others from around the world that own both “Old World” and “New World” properties dedicated to this noble and delicate task are the ones to stick with when selecting reliable and delicious sparkling wine.

The state of bubbles is great there are many of the best available here in our local North Idaho market. As we have said repeatedly our best advice is to stick to the oldest and best suited appellations and producers to end up with the best flute full of sparkling.

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George Balling is co-owner with his wife, Mary Lancaster, of The Dinner Party, a wine and gift shop in Coeur d’Alene by Costco. The Dinner Party has won the award for best wine shop in North Idaho twice, including for 2018.

George is also published in several other publications around the country. After working in wineries in California and judging many wine competitions, he moved to Coeur d’Alene with Mary more than 10 years ago to open the shop.

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