Bubbles to celebrate | The Press

Champagne remains the benchmark among bubbles around the world. But the choice is vast! As much in terms of origin as style and price. Festive wines par excellence, sparkling wines are also much more versatile at the table than you might think. Here are 10 favorites to brighten up your holiday season!

Under $20

Finding an elegant, tasty, not too sweet and above all inexpensive sparkling wine is a challenge! By leaving traditional regions, such as Champagne, and being ready to try new blends, it is possible.

Sumarroca Brut Nature Gran Reserva Cava 2018

Sumarroca wines always represent good value for money. But the Gran Reserva 2018 is particularly successful, with a surprising hold and finesse. Made with Xarel-lo, Maccabeo, Parellada grapes and a tiny bit of Chardonnay, it offers a typical nose with notes of russet apple, flowering fields, citrus fruits and hay. Very dry, with fine and persistent bubbles, it is fresh, smart, and even shows a certain depth. (VR)

$17.50 (13408929), 12%, organic

Borges Fita Azul Attitude Brut Reserva

This bubbly is simple, but for less than $15, it lives up to expectations. The Portuguese company Borges brings together local grape varieties such as Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and Arinto. Result: the color is very pale and the aromas are reminiscent of lemon, smoke and a pleasant scent of flowers. The bubbles are abundant, without being coarse. To add happiness to the aperitif, it’s ideal! (KD P.)

$14.10 (13640277), 12%

Create the surprise

What do the sparkling wine of Nova Scotia and the rosé bubbles of Burgundy have in common? Both bottles are produced by expatriate Quebecers, one in the Maritimes, the other in France. In both cases, they use the traditional method, the same as in Champagne, to create great sparkling wines.

Benjamin Bridge Classic Method NV Brut

In Nova Scotia’s Gaspereau Valley, near the Bay of Fundy, Benjamin Bridge makes some of the best sparkling wines in the country. The “NV” (not vintage : non-vintage) is produced with the Acadie and Seyval grape varieties, with a little Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Its aromas have spring airs with notes of green apple, white flowers and sea spray. On the palate, it is light, crisp and tonic with delicate saline notes. (VR)

$31 (13593239), 11.5%

Patrick Piuze Undosed Traditional Method

Originally from Quebec, Burgundian at heart, Patrick Piuze lives in Chablis. Chardonnay no longer holds any secrets for him. For the past few years, he has partnered with Moutard Diligent to produce sparkling wine and this time surprises with rosé bubbles made from pinot noir. Undosed, i.e. without added sugar, the wine is crunchy and fruity. Very pure and elegant, this sparkling shows all its talent. (KD P.)

$24.50 (14961902), 12%

Natural sparkling

Natural sparkling wines, or pet nat, are sparkling wines resulting from a single fermentation that ends in the bottle. The bubbles are generally more discreet, the wines can be cloudy (not disgorged) and contain a residue of sugar. But this age-old method varies greatly from region to region, and styles abound.

Domaine La Taille aux Loups Triple Zero

The original Montlouis sparkling wines must ferment with native yeasts, not be chaptalized or dosed: they are always dry. They are also limpid since they must be disgorged. That of Jacky Blot is a reference. A very nice nose, fine and fresh, opens with notes of pear, quince, white flowers and herbs. The mouth is taut and greedy, with a beautiful fruity substance carried by a great freshness and a long finish with a mineral impression. (VR)

Original sparkling Montlouis-sur-Loire, $36.25 (12025301), 12.5%

Domain Serol Turbulent

Everything is surprising in this sparkling wine: the region, the color, its method and the alcohol content. It is produced in the dynamic Côte Roannaise region, located to the west of Beaujolais. In this place, the gamay grows in a granite soil, which accentuates its perfumes. The Turbullent cuvée from winemaker Stéphane Sérol is pinkish in color, almost red. It contains few bubbles, less alcohol, but a lot of taste. An ideal wine for holiday brunch. (KD P.)

$27 (14718161), 8.5%, organic

More than Brut

The mention brut means that the wine has a sugar level of 15 g/L maximum. Remember that sparkling wines have very high acidities which balance out these sugars: for the same sugar, a sparkling wine tastes much drier than a still wine. The extra-brut label applies to wines with a maximum of 6 g/L of sugar, and that of brut nature, for a maximum of 3 g/L. Note that these last two styles require the highest quality harvest to be successful.

Ca’del Bosco Cuvée Prestige 44^has Edizione Extra Brut Franciacorta

What a nice surprise this 44^e edition of the Cuvée Prestige! Much less dosed than the previous ones, and more complete. A pretty nose, very fine and racy, opens with notes of pear, grilled almonds and brioche. The palate is very elegant, with citrus notes and a mineral impression that revolve around a very ripe fruity flesh. Very dry and ample, it shows tension and stretches on a long finish punctuated by pretty bitters. (VR)

$45.50 (11008024), 12.5%

Recaredo Corpinnat Terrers Brut Nature 2018

This bottle will arrive on SAQ shelves later in December. But it’s worth the wait! The Recaredo estate joined other Catalan producers to create the Corpinnat appellation. Unlike cava, Corpinnat wines are entirely made with local grape varieties. They age longer on the lees and come from certified organic vineyards. All these efforts give a sparkling wine of great elegance where the flavors of liquorice, biscuit and flowers linger for a long time. From the 2018 harvest and with no added sugar, this is a great bottle at a reasonable price. (KD P.)

$39 (13319715), 12%, organic

Pink !

Less than 10% of champagnes are rosé, but they deserve to be known. Indeed, they are more versatile at the table than whites. Most go well with fish and some even stand up to a piece of red meat.

Drappier Brut Nature Pinot Noir Zero Dosage

Made only with Pinot Noir, this wine has always had a slight peach tint to its color. This time, it is adorned with a resolutely pink color, even if very pale. The delicate nose combines very ripe pear with notes of apple compote and strawberry, and a hint of vegetal which accentuates its freshness. The mouth is fine, rich and tonic at the same time, and the flavors stretch out on a long finish with a mineral, stony impression. (VR)

$55.25 (11127234), 12%

Champagne Ayala Major

The Ayala house fills the flute with inviting scents of strawberry, raspberry and flowers with its rosé champagne. Made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, it gets its color from the addition of a hint of red wine. This way of doing things is only allowed in Champagne! On the palate, it surprises with its airy texture, its very fine bubbles and its light finish. At this price, it’s a luxury, but you won’t regret it. (KD P.)

$71 (11674529), 12%