Wine Review: Sparkling wines accent glittering delight of the holidays

The Christmas and New Year's festivities are approaching, and we are all looking forward to it, however for some, with a bit of apprehension. Will it be the same old thing revisited? We exchange gifts, smile and thank the gift giver while thinking of the best way that we can return it.

There is a simple way to change that standard routine. How about a sparkling Christmas? There is nothing better to brighten a party or celebration than to serve sparkling wine. Whether it is the popping of the cork, the delightful color, the bubbles or just the wine itself, it is a certainty to bring smiles to the faces of all and will definitely brighten the celebration.

There is a problem, though. All too often, a sparkling wine is called Champagne and associated with that name and its usually astronomical prices. How about a few facts?

There are many more sparkling wines made than those from the Champagne district in France that are often overlooked or even considered to be inferior because of their considerably lower prices. By international agreement, only wines that are French and come from the Champagne district may be labeled as Champagne. Other nations use various names for their sparkling wines: Spain calls their sparkling wines Cava, Germany calls theirs Sekt, Prosecco is Italian, Espumante for Portugal and vin mousseux for the non-Champagne sparkling wines of France, and them there is the ingenious, well-thought-out American name, sparkling wine.

I will give the reader a moment to recover before I hit you with the designation of sweetness, which is centuries old and, if I may, can be mind numbing. Extra brut on the label indicates the driest, while brut is dry but may display just a hint of sweetness. Extra dry is just a bit sweeter. Sec is sweet and doux is very sweet. These names do appear on the label, but it occasionally takes a bit of searching to find them.

Giesen 0% Alcohol New Zealand Sparkling Brut ($20)
This is a classically made sparkling wine that, after fermentation, was put through a process to remove the alcohol and then was carbonated with carbon dioxide that evolved from the fermentation. To put it more understandably, the Giesen 0% Alcohol Sparkling Brut is the real thing, and I am sure that it will not only garner some comments of approval. The wine displays the aromas and flavors of lemon, grapefruit and pear that intermingle with almost-never-ending bubbles. I believe that this wine will pass the taste and quality test of even your most wine-knowledgeable guest.

Yarden 2018 Blanc de Blancs ($47)
The grapes for this wine come from the wine grape growing center of the Middle East, the Golan Heights of Israel. The wine has been made by the classical méthode champenoise, fermented and carbonated in the bottle it will be sold in and then resting five years in the bottle. This is a delightful, medium-bodied wine, accenting the aromas of citrus and summer flowers. The flavor is complex, consisting of many layers of fruit, then ending in a rather obvious toasty finish.

Borrasca Brut Cava ($13)
A well-made sparkling wine for this price is a rarity and should not be overlooked, as this wine can well illustrate exactly what quality can be obtained from a very affordable sparkling wine. It is a bold, medium-bodied wine, accenting the aromas of citrus and summer flowers. The flavor is complex, consisting of many layers of the aromas of fresh-cut fruit and then ending in a fruit-filled toasty finish. This wine will prove that there are excellent sparkling wines in the marketplace that are not only affordable but are true to the style and very enjoyable.

Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.