Ahhhhh, bubbles. The perfect wine for celebrations, toasts, ceremonies or as the producer of out Italian Prosecco says, "to be enjoyed anytime of day or night." The new year is coming, the holidays are upon us. Whatever aforementioned occasion we have 4 distinct, different and all together very inviting sparkling wines to round out the year and welcome in the new. 

 

1. Troon Vineyard, Piquette! Kubli Bench Estate Bottled Applegate Valley Méthode Ancestrale, 2019 - Troon checks every box for our themed packs this round. New World, check, biodynamic, check, sparking, check! Your first question is probably, “what is piquette?” Well, it is many things, but basically it is a frugal farmer fizz. Wine like this dates from the Greek and Roman era and have been imbibed for centuries since by field workers, farmers and vineyards works. It is cheap to produce and low in alcohol. The recipe is pretty straighforward, take the skins of the grapes just pressed, which still contain a decent amount of juice, add a touch of water, let it macerate or soak together, press that juice again, the natives yeasts start working and as soon as it starts to fizz, bottle it under a bottle cap. Pop! There is Piquette. This is bone dry with a lovely persimmon hue, with raspberry, apple and pomegranite flavors. Start popping! 

 

2. AGO, Sparkling Columbia Gorge, 2019 - This is probably the lowest alcohol wine ever made in Washingston, just 11.4%! Made with 100% Columbia Gorge fruit, specifically 86% Gewurztraminer and 14% Pinot Gris, by COR Wine Cellars, and I assure you, it is quite dry. I first tasted this over the Summer at the winery on a delightful back patio overlooking Mt. Hood while playing fetch with a scrappy vineyard dog named Maggie. It paired nicely together. You don't have to wait for sunshine to roll back into Oregon to enjoy it, so break it out over Indian food or Thai curry. The exotic fruit flavors, ginger and grapefruit make this a very refreshing wine to enjoy with food or as an aperitif. Just 375 cases made. 

 

3. Raventós i Blanc, Conca del Riu Anoia Blanc de Blancs, 2017 - Another sparkling biodynamic wine here, this time from Catalonia, but this isn't any old winery. This is the Raventós family. They have lived on this 200 acre estate since at least 1497. 21 generations have farmed this land and called it home. They make wine, plot by plot in a micro-climate influenced by a river, a lake, two streams and a hill. You can walk through five centuries of history on their website, plus they have a really cool interactive view of their vineyards, check it out! The wine, I got distracted by the longevity of this family, is a blend of native white grapes, 40% Xarel·lo, 32% Macabeu and 28% Parellada, the classic trifecta of Cava. This is wine is chiseled, you can taste the strucute, it is truly magnificent. About 250 cases are made.

 

4. Adami, Garbèl Prosecco Treviso Brut, NV (non-vintage) - In local dialect, the word “Garbèl” expresses a satisfying sensation of freshness and pleasant lightness. It is pleasantly tart, crisp and dry, yet flows with the creamy flavors of ripe pear, yellow apple and melon. If you're going to pour a glass to toast someone this year, use this. But a word of advice, directly from the producer, don't use a tall, slender flute, doing so will inhibit the nose and flavor. Use a bigger white wine or red wine glass.