The Best Wine Is Wine Shared With Friends

Tasting Features Sparkling Wine and California Reds

A Grand Tasting With Wines From France, California, and Italy

When friends gather, it’s time to break out the good stuff. Over the recent years, as we’ve encountered a few bumps on life’s highway, I’ve come to appreciate even more the pleasures of good wine shared in the company of first-class friends.

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And so when we traveled to Ohio for a family visit, it was time to connect with good friends Steve, Tracey, and Maria. Steve and Tracey (Cabernetor and Glorious T!) hosted a wine dinner that was perfect in all regards.

Our evening started as every evening should – with sparkling wine. The bottle of choice was the Gilles & Romain’s Collet Crémant from Burgundy. This is a brut sparkling wine made from 100% Chardonnay. Elegant, with an aroma of citrus and pepper, it was full of creaminess – a perfect fizz to start the evening.

French Crémant Gets The Crowd Bubbling

After a bit of hobnobbing, we were ready for dinner. The crowd enjoyed the bubbly so much that Green Dragon (my wife) demanded more. Steve’s cellar has depth, and he soon emerged with another Crémant, Faire La Fête. The wine is from Limoux, the birthplace of French sparkling wine. Faire La Fête means “to party” or live it up. Good selection! Faire La Fête is a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir. It’s a beauty with pear and white blossom notes with the requisite creamy bubbles. This is one of the best sparkling wine values out there with a price of about $21.

Masterful Wines From Beringer Vineyards Plus Brunello

When the entrée arrived the reds rolled out. I had brought a 2014 Beringer Quantum, a rich dark Cabernet blend. The four of us (alas Maria wasn't along) had visited Beringer Vineyards years ago on a dark and stormy night during a trip to Napa and Sonoma. We enjoyed our meal and conversation while sipping the Quantum (dark fruit, plum, earthiness, and oak). I hoped the bottle would stir memories of that wine adventure.

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Steve pulled a surprise out of his hat, as he quickly grabbed a bottle of beautifully aged 2012 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Both reds were aerated via the Wine Breather, which always provides a pleasing show.

I was frankly surprised by how well the 2012 Beringer was drinking more than 10 years on. It was soft and silky with raspberry, spice, and black cherry rocking the flavor. Founded in 1876, Beringer Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley. They also offer wines in a variety of quality levels with prices from $20 to $400.

Fortified by numerous glasses of wine, I decided it was time to unleash a furious ping-pong attack on Steve. This can only be done after he has several glasses of red wine. Since I had also consumed several glasses, I lost my advantage. It was good table tennis with no declared winner. We headed upstairs.

It was time to enjoy the starry Ohio night on the patio. The 2012 Rodolfo Cosimi “Terra Rossa” Brunello di Montalcino. In the late 1800s, it was determined that Brunello and Sangiovese were the same grape. Today it is one of Italy’s best-known and most expensive wines.

Sour cherry, baking spice, and blackberry jam highlighted this 100% Sangiovese beauty. We sipped away and slipped away into old memories and new tales as the night wound down.

Let Your Holidays Shine With These International Sparkling Wines

Are you anxious to celebrate the holidays and ring in a hopeful new year? Take your pick from these seven sparklers from around the globe.

Global Values In Bubbles

As thoughts turn to holiday celebrations after a difficult 2020 (hang in there, people!), it’s time to reach for a bottle of bubbly. Champagne is the most famed sparkling wine by far, but there are plenty of options for bubbles that won’t put a hurt on your bank account. We recently received seven non-vintage sparklers to review which are sure to tickle your nose and bring a smile to your face. Each is priced below $25.

La Vielle Ferme Réserve Brut and Réserve Rosé

La Vielle Ferme is the best-selling brand of French wine in the United States. It consistently delivers great taste and affordability. We tasted two different bubblies, both created with a unique process. The technique, dubbed Méthode Contemporaine, captures CO₂ during the fermentation process and reintroduces it right before bottling.

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These bottles, each with an SRP of $14.99, have plenty of pop. The Réserve Brut is 100% Chardonnay that undergoes battonage (stirring on the lees) for an extra dollop of complexity. Lots of peach and limestone with this bottle. The rosé is Grenache Noir (40%), Cinsault (40%), and Pinot Noir (20%). Look for raspberries and a dash of citrus on the palate. These wines are dependable and delicious.

MAN Sparkling Chenin Blanc Brut and Méthode Cap Classique Brut

We had no idea South Africa had sparkling wine – until we visited there a few years ago. We were introduced to Méthode Cap Classique wines, the country’s finest sparkling wine produced in the traditional method. Minds blown! MAN Family Wines is known for producing widely distributed quality South African wines at value prices.

We had never had a sparkling Chenin Blanc before and really savored this bottle from MAN. Locally known as Steen, the grapes were grown in a dry-farmed vineyard in the Agter-Paarl region. Perfect with seafood, it has luscious notes of tropical fruit. SRP is $15.99.

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The Méthode Cap Classique Brut is also 100% Chenin Blanc and aged four months in French oak. For added complexity, it spent a total of 18 months on the lees. The time and effort is worth it. On the palate there are persistent bubbles with lime, pear and toast notes. A wonderful value at $24.99, this is a great celebratory bottle.

Marqués de Cáceres Cáva Brut

Why do we love Cava? Simply because it’s awesome. Cava is Spain’s traditional method sparkling wine that is produced mainly in the Penedès region.

Marqués de Cáceres is one of the best-known names in Rioja, and this Cava will not disappoint. The grapes are the traditional trio of Xarel.lo, Macabeo, and  Parellada and are hand harvested from vines that average 25 years of age. Apples and floral notes delight the palate as you enjoy the fine, streaming bubbles SRP $14.99.

Alma Negra Brut Nature

This wine from Argentina captivated us from the start with its label. Alma Negra means “dark soul” and the label features a mysterious, shadowy mask.

Inside the stylish bottle is Malbec and Pinot Noir. We enjoyed this with a patio dinner and could have easily consumed a second bottle. The taste is flowing with strawberry and lime accented with a crisp acidity.

This is a wine from Argentine wine icon Ernesto Catena and is a steal at $21.99.

J. de Villebois Crémant de Loire

We’re big fans of crémant. By law, sparkling wine cannot be called Champagne unless it is produced in France’s Champagne region. There’s plenty of good bubbly from other areas of France and in many cases it’s called crémant. You can get the French grooviness with a crémant without the Champagne price tag.

The wine is 60% Chenin Blanc, 35% Chardonnay and 5% Cabernet Franc. It’s aged for 12 months in underground limestone caves.

We uncorked this tasty bottle to celebrate the birth of our first grandchild. This wine has bountiful, foamy froth and delicate bubbles. On the palate it’s creamy with distinctive vanilla notes.

At $20.99, it is a stylish sparkling wine. Perfect to toast that special occasion.

Full disclosure: These wines were received as marketing samples.