February 14th is coming and Miller Lite won’t do guys. Neither will Red Bull and vodka. If any holiday ever called for bubbles it’s Valentine’s Day. The good thing is, regardless of your budget you’ve got options. Here’s a primer on how you can woo your girl on the big day without breaking the bank … unless you want to.
Champagne
The crème de la crème of bubbly beverages will always be champagne. Real champagne must come from France’s Champagne region, and if it doesn’t, it isn’t Champagne. Your choices are: blanc de blancs (made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes), blanc de noirs (white wine made from black grapes), rose (most commonly a bit of Pinot Noir added) and a cuvee de prestige (a proprietary blend that considered to be the top of a producer’s range).
Blanc de blanc: Jean Pernet Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne ($50) is 100% Chardonnay made entirely from grapes from their vineyard in Le Mesnil sur Oger, Oger and Chouilly. Opening with floral and citrusy notes, the flavor develops to include a nice harmony of apple and key lime on a creamy palette.
Blanc de noir: Champagne Brut Blanc de Noirs Val Vilaine Inflorescence, Cedric Bouchard ($55) is 100% Pinot Noir from a single vineyard in Aube and from a single vintage (2009). Breathtaking textural elegance and fabulous balance with a minerally nose. Hints of bark and cedar with intense pear and citrus notes linger in the complex finish.
Rose: Veuve Clicquot Brut Rose ($60)
The elegantly balanced Veuve rose offers luminous color, an elegant and generous nose and undeniable pedigree in a festive package. Your better half will love your choice. The rose is worlds better than Veuve’s standard brut.
Cuvee de prestige: There’s a reason why Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne ($200) is the go-to bottle of bubbly for rappers. It’s some of the best champagne on the planet, and at forty per glass disposable cash is required. But if you had a good year and you love your babe, you can’t do any better.
If the budget doesn’t permit champagne, your next best option is sparkling wine. Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs ($29.99) from California is rich and honeyed with flavors of orange, sweet limes, lemons and vanilla and for the money remains a solid option.
Prosecco
You’d be hard-pressed to find a wine that’s as red hot as Prosecco right now. Most bottles sell for less than twenty bucks, it tastes fresh and delicate and comes from Italy. Prosecco, which is the name of the grape, comes from an area not far from Venice, the best typically coming from Valdobbiadene and Conegliano.
Two widely available, well-made brands of Prosecco are Zardetto Di Conegliano Brut ($14) and Mionetto Brut ($15). Both deliver hearty white foam, fresh fragrant aromas and delicately soft and harmonious taste for a highly reasonable price.
Also consider the Casalnova Prosecco di Treviso Extra Dry ($18), with its bright fruit, fine texture and whisper of sweetness.
Cava
Cava is the sparkling wine of Spain, specifically Catalonia. Made from macabeo, xarello and parellada grapes, cava is clean and refreshing and tastes way better than most similarly priced California bubbly. The Unites States imports more Cava than any other Spanish wine because it’s an excellent value play.
The estate-bottled Mont Marcal Brut Rosado Cava Sparkling Wine ranks among the best $20 and under cavas you can buy. Intense red currant color and dry and flavorful on the palate, this Mont Marcal pairs well with almost any food.
The Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad ($26.40) tastes like a rich chardonnay with bubbles and comes in a gorgeous hand-blown bottle emblazoned with a silvery metal Segura Viudas crest and the base of the bottle rests in a decorative metal coaster inscribed with grapes. It would make a perfect selection for the occasion.
As you can see, there’s bubbly out there for anyone, regardless of whether you’re in the 1% or not. So this Valentine’s Day, cherish your better half and mark the occasion with a nice bottle or three.
Previous
