For lower priced sparkling wines, think outside of France

I like sparkling wines. Bubbles are fun. Sparklers are made in just about every wine producing region, however, when they come from the Champagne region they come with a lot of history, tradition, and excessive profit margins! I love Champagnes, but with the price for most cuvees starting north of $30, they are not the kind of wine that you can have every day. Here is where Cremants, Proseccos, and Cavas, step up to the plate. With many offers under $25, these sparkling wines can bring the bubbles to the party without emptying your wallet.

Last night we popped the cork on a bottle of Cava Reserva Brut Rosat from Avinyó (~$23). Cherry-copper in color with medium fine bubbles, this is a pretty wine. The nose reminded me of sparkling cherry candy. With just a slight hint of residual sugar and plenty of acid, the Avinyo was a very satisfying drink. This wine works well as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to salty cold cuts or a plate of boiled shrimp. We found that it paired particularly well with caramels coated with dark chocolate and a little gray sea salt.

With the holidays ahead, folks will start to think about the sparkling wines. In years gone by Champagnes has ruled at Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve celebrations, but this year consider bubbles from the other great wine regions. There are some excellent wines out there, and the money you save can be used to buy presents.

Check out these related posts:

1. Food and wine pairing: oysters with Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava
2. Half-price oysters and sparkling wine at Parkside
3. Wine, food & friends – better than Valentine’s day
4. Holiday wine values from Austin experts, round 2
5. A list of good, but cheap, wines for these hard times