Written by Vic Harradine

Vic Harradine has been teaching wine appreciation for a number of years at Algonquin. An avid wine taster, he samples about four thousand wines a year.

He writes reviews for about two thousand of them in the free wine e-newsletter: www.winecurrent.com which is published every two weeks to coincide with Vintages Releases at the LCBO.  To receive your copy, log onto the winecurrent.com site and subscribe.

Being bombarded with news about the economic slowdown and financial disaster can be depressing—but don’t let it get you down. If you have champagne taste coupled with a beer budget, prop up your spirits with these sparkling suggestions—all available at the LCBO. 

They make sparkling wine all over the world, not just in Champagne. Here are four wines from four different countries that’ll tune out doomsayers without requiring you to apply for a loan (or another loan!). Helpful tips on how to open, serve, and save sparkling wines are also provided following the reviews.

Sparkling wine is the most versatile of all wines when pairing with food. It pairs like magic with almost any type of cuisine, including spicy Asian dishes. You may think of it as a celebratory beverage, but it’s much more versatile than that. Pour it for guests when they arrive as a classy welcoming wine, or with all manner of appetizers.

Seaview Sparkling Shiraz Non-Vintage
South Eastern Australia $13.95 (644054)
This is made from 100% Shiraz grapes. Yes, it looks and tastes like a red wine -- except for the bubbles. It presents a lovely alternative as a welcoming wine and doubles as a cool conversation starter. There are familiar aromas and flavours of mixed field berry and sweet red cherry that are nicely framed and lifted by spice and peppery notes, and 13% alcohol. Serve chilled either on its own or with appetizers normally paired with red wine. (At the time that this was written, it was available through the LCBO locations at College Square, Hunt Club, and Barrhaven among others.)

Segura Viudas Cava 'Brut Reserva' Non-Vintage
DO Cava, Spain $14.95 (158493)
A glass or two of this and you’ll be dancing the fandango and speaking Spanish—perhaps for the first time! It’s a popular "go to" sparkling wine as an aperitif or to pair with a wide variety of seafood or white meat dishes. Gorgeously coloured—light gold with a distinctive tinge of green—you'll discover aromas of citrus and mineral. A fine perlage (a steady stream of tiny bubbles) is the mark of classy bubbly and it’s evident here. Ripe grapefruit and white peach flavours form a focused attack on the palate while the finish is crisp and refreshing. (At the time that this was written, it was available through the LCBO locations at College Square, Hunt Club, and Barrhaven among others.)

Santa Carolina ‘Brut Reserve’ Non-Vintage
Valle de Casablanca, Chile $12.45 (94656)
Fairly new to the LCBO, serving this will put you one up on the masses with a winner in the making. It’s a classy blend of 90% Chardonnay—stainless steel fermented—and 10% Chenin Blanc—picked very ripe and barrel fermented. Steely, mineral and ripe tree fruit aromas burst from the endless froth while the tropical fruit and crisp citrus flavours are deliciously delivered on a plush and velvet-smooth texture. It finishes clean and crisp with solid fruit flavours. You and your guests will finish the evening impressed. (At the time that this was written, it was available through the LCBO locations at Hunt Club, Barrhaven, Bank and Walkley among other locations.)

Bottega ‘Vino Dei Poeti’ Prosecco Non-Vintage
Italy $14.95 (897702)
This is an incredibly popular sparkling wine in the LCBO—all those people can’t be wrong. This ‘wine of the poets’ is named for a festival held in the Italian hills where Prosecco grapes are grown. Dry and delicious, there are aromas of white flowers and lemon while the flavours are a mélange of white grapefruit, ripe lemon and pineapple. It’s fizzy and food friendly, especially with appetizers or seafood, while the texture is silky and the finish clean and very refreshing. (At the time that this was written, it was available through the LCBO locations at College Square, Hunt Club, Barrhaven, Bells Corners among other locations.)
 
Helpful tips:

• Use caution when uncorking. Keep your hand over the cork while and after removing the wire cage to avoid causing serious eye injury. Ease the cork from the bottle with a ‘his-s-s-s’ not a pop.
• You can use an ordinary wine glass, but if the opening is large you’ll lose the fizz quickly. Tall tulip-shaped glasses called ‘flutes’ are ideal.
• Serve these, and all sparkling wine, straight from the fridge or ice bucket.
• Serve the wine chilled, but never in glasses that have been placed in the freezer.
• Pour a small amount in the glass (e.g. an ounce), let the froth subside, then pour in the balance. This prevents the wine from frothing up and spilling over the top of the glass.
• To keep a part bottle for a day or two, put an ordinary ‘still wine’ cork in the top of the bottle and place in the fridge. If it’s one of the above sparkling wines, call me, I’ll come over and help you finish it.
• Be responsible; drink in moderation, and never drink and drive.