As a result, these sparklers often have bits of leftover sediment and/or residual sugar in them. Ancestral method wines (pét-nats or naturally sparkling, for example), only undergo one fermentation, which completes itself in the bottle. Charmat method wines are generally fresher, less complex, and are meant to be consumed in their youth. This process also involves a secondary fermentation that, unlike the traditional method, is executed in pressurized tanks. The Martinotti/Charmat method is used to make most lambruscos and proseccos. These wines age on their lees in bottle and are then disgorged, dosed (if desired), and then recorked prior to selling. The traditional method is used to make Champagne, cava, and crémants, and involves reigniting still wine with a secondary fermentation (executed in the bottle) using a mixture of yeast and sugar. There are three methods used to create quality sparkling wine: the traditional method ( méthode traditionelle or méthode champenoise), the Martinotti (or Charmat) method, and the ancestral method ( méthode ancestrale). On the more reasonable end of the cost spectrum, the Jansz Tasmania Brut Rosé ( view on Drizly) is a well-made and delicious offering with southern hemisphere stylings tempered by classic structure and poise. If you can get your hands on it, the Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition ( view on Vivino) is a truly elegant and evocative bottle of Champagne that's well worth the increasingly steep price tag. “If we are talking about which style to drink with certain foods, I look to rosé for dishes that need a little more body, but can also marry with the red fruit characteristics of the wine.” Stoppelmoor notes that sparkling rosé works particularly well with pork dishes, Thanksgiving turkey, and savory dishes that incorporate red fruits (such as spinach salad with goat cheese and strawberries).
“When I think about my favorite sparkling wine producers and which cuvée I truly enjoy drinking the most, it tends to be their rosé,” reveals Stoppelmoor. “I also love rosé sparkling wine with steak, specifically flank or filet mignon.” I love pairing things like fried shrimp po'boys, crawfish jambalaya, french fries, and lots of plain Lay's or Kettle chips,” says wine and travel consultant Julia Coney. All fruit is responsibly farmed and is cultivated in cool-climate areas in Pipers River. Jansz has been pioneering high-quality sparkling wines from Tasmania since 1975. The wine undergoes secondary fermentation in bottle and is aged on the lees for three years prior to release.
This pinot noir-dominant rosé from the Land Down Under oozes with flavors of candied red fruit, rhubarb, cream, and rose petals.
Region: Tasmania, Australia | ABV: 12.5% | Tasting Notes: Candied fruit, cream, rose petals This is a gorgeous and textbook Champagne-and if Champagne is the king of sparkling wines, the Brut Tradition makes a strong case to be a pretty solid standard-bearer for the entire category. The palate is complex and generous, with flavors of black cherry, fresh mint, and toasted pastries leading to a savory mushroom finish. It drinks deliciously when it’s young and only adds richness with a few years of aging. Utilizing a blend of pinot noir (70 percent) and chardonnay (30 percent) grown in the grand cru villages of Bouzy, Verzenay, and Ambonnay, the Brut Tradition is a textured and expressive Champagne. Egly-Ouriet is an RM ( récoltant-manipulant) or "grower" Champagne, meaning that the grapes are grown by the same estate that makes the wine-allowing for a cohesion of terroir and process that eludes the more familiar high-end brands. Region: Champagne, France | ABV: 12.5% | Tasting Notes: Black cherry, mint, pastry doughĭelicious, elegant, and frustratingly rare, the flagship Champagne from winemaker Francis Egly deserves a high spot on your list of bottles to try this year.