I drink sparkling wine all year long. Happily. Oh, so, happily! This year in particular has been a fun one in the sparkler-sphere, too. We’ve found many wines that are unique AND affordable, so my inclination to bring them home has been even greater. Long story short, while I’d never turn down an opportunity to enjoy a few gorgeous Champagnes (that is, from the Mothership of Champagne, France itself) if you travel outside this elite sparkling region you can find some real values.

Now, when it comes to the traditional time of year to pop a few corks (namely New Year’s Eve), I’m super psyched to have several of these options to choose from before heading to my friends’ to toast 2012. Here are a few that have caught my fancy so much so that they’ve inspired full-fledged wine notes. Ready? Set… GO!

Finca Flichman Extra Brut ~ Malbec is the sure-fire winning grape of 2011. But we wine nerds can’t forecast a reason to make a change in 2012! This trend has every right to carry on with gusto, particularly when we can also find it in an everyday celebratory (and affordable) package! Finca Flichman serves up a pretty bubbly, with terrific florals, snappy cherry and even a dash of blueberry and black raspberry fruits on the palate. This dry, redish sparkler (a blend of Chardonnay and Malbec) certainly intrigues and delights every sip of the way. And yes, for $9.99 it over delivers on quality!

Dom. Collin Cremant de Limoux ~ This is a sparkling wine (aka Cremant) with pedigree and pizazz from the Loire Valley of France. The pedigree part is that they man behind the magic has a Champagne project, but he thought it would be fun to dabble in the Loire as well. A blend of mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (two of the three grapes permitted in Champagne) with a little Loire-tastic Chenin Blanc thrown in for good measure, the winemaking behind the wine ensures a toasty, brioche-like flavor and texture to the wine. Tiny bubbles deliver clean fruit notes (apple, lemon pith and pear) a touch of bitter almond, plus a whopping of cleansing mineral notes bringing the dry finish all the way home. Take this bad boy home for only $13.99. A party-pleaser for sure!

Selim Spumante Brut NV ~  This is perhaps the rarest sparkler I’ve ever encountered. Hailing from Campania, Italy it is no Prosecco – rather it is a blend of three grapes, one white (Fiano) and two reds (Aglianico and Barbera). Such a blend delivers a white sparkler with an intriguing and delicious flavor profile and texture: its smooth mousse offers up pink roses and lemon curd aromas and then delivers lifted, delightfully nuanced flavors including citrus, raspberries and bing cherries. A touch of talc provides a welcome and balancing minerality. Selim is a complex yet approachably delicious crowd pleaser for any occasion. Grab a bottle and discover what I’m so excited about! $20.99

Oriel “365″ Prosecco NV – If you want something that offers a little something more in the traditional Italian sparkler-sphere, Oriel has just the thing. Their idea is to bring you an affordable Prosecco vehicle that is affordable enough you can enjoy bubbles ALL YEAR LONG, as Prosecco should be. (And yes, to answer your question, Prosecco is an Italian sparkler made from grapes of the same name.)  This not-so-simple, but oh-so-satisfying, lightly moussed wine with ample pear, lemon cream and yellow apple fruit takes a familiar experience up a notch. $17.99

Domaine Rolet Cremant du Jura Brut 2007 ~  For a non-Champagne sparkler, even with such great competition found this year in the marketplace, this wine might be the go-to Show Stopper for a pseudo Champagne. An offering from the off-the-beaten-track of Jura, France, this wine is a blend of Chardonnay, the indigenous Savagnin, and Pinot Noir. It has a luscious, rich texture yet fine bubbles and clean fruit. Specifically, quince and honeydew melon flavors offer a nice balance of tart/clean and savory/fleshy. A tangerine zip of acidity delights to no end. This bugger comes in just under $20 at $19.99. Happiness!

If you aren’t on the bubbly bandwagon just yet, this weekend to jump on. Grab something fun and live it up! But please, have a safe, happy and healthy New Year!

A man walks into a fine wine shop, takes ten minutes to peruse the shelves, scratches his head, furrows his brow and then says, “Madam? Inspire me.”

While I find pleasure and comfort in routine, I find in my “old” age equal pleasure in stepping outside of the box. Enter Anne Amie and their special Pinot Noir Blanc wine. And, no, that’s not an oxymoron. Pinot Noir, like any red grape, can take the form of “blanc” just so long as the winemaker presses the juice from the skins so quickly after harvest that the pigment of the skin doesn’t impact the color of the wine – creating a white vin from red fruit.

Whilst frolicking, tasting and learning at Pinot Camp last July, I had the rare opportunity to taste Anne Amie’s “Prisme” Pinot Noir Blanc for the first time. Winemaker Tom Houseman was running around the giant tent at dinner, trying to find me to taste this 2008 vintage elixir of life. It is named after the word prism, which means the splitting of white light into its various colors – or essentially what Tom does with Pinot Noir grapes from their finest Pinot Noir vineyards to create this special wine. I had to know what this Anne Amie treasure was like, and Tom was on the task.

Prisme tastes like Burgundy – on both the white (Chardonnay) and red (Pinot Noir) sides of the spectrum. (It is the perfect convergence of my favorite wine experiences, offering a taste of Burgundy at the roots of Oregon soil.) The nose is pretty, warming and childhood-memory inspiring: for me that translates to a bouquet of white and yellow flowers (honeysuckle, dandelions and gerber daisies), creamsicles and nutmeg.  The palate offers not only ripe pear, savory yellow and tart granny smith apple, and meyer lemon citrus fruits, but also a toasty/creamy, cheese rind and ginger spice essence comes to bear due to 18 months of aging on the lees in French barrels. A helping of ripe raspberries and just a teaspoon of blueberry flavors dance along the finish, a flavor profile I am not unhappy to experience when tasting great Champagne made with an extra helping of Pinot Noir, actually.

Thankfully, Prisme has officially landed on our Massachusetts shores, just in time for the holidays.

“Sir? I have just the thing….”

“On the road again… Just can’t wait ’til I get on the road again…” Oh, wait. I’m back! More or less just back from Oregon Pinot Camp 2011, a select, annual, trade, invite-only conference out in the Willamette Valley. That’s (said) Willamette, damn it! and about an hour south of Portland, Oregon, where (arguably) the country’s finest Pinot Noir wines are made.

The goal of the conference? To bring together about 250 representatives of the restaurant and retail wine biz to learn more about the area and why great Pinot Noir is made there. They also (smartly) provide a great opportunity to explore “The Great American Whites”, Oregon style, which may go more routinely overlooked, simply because Pinot Noir is the young region’s claim to fame. I last visited the region in 2005 and was thrilled to have the ‘excuse’ to go back and delve in further to this great wine producing region.

My personal adventure began a bit further south of the Willamette  – 5+ hours south, though still in Oregon – at Foris Vineyards. Foris invited me and 11 others from across the country to come in advance of Camp and explore what southern Oregon wine country has to offer. I’ve worked with Foris’ wines in the past (and in particular their Muscat frizzante) and was happy to have the chance to meet the owners, Ted and his wife Terri, winemaker Bryan and his sidekick Steve and the rest of the gang. They are salt of the earth people, with tremendous vision; I was lucky to start my trip with them and whet my whistle and appetite for Rogue Valley wines!

The next morning we were up bright and early to travel to Camp. We enjoyed a late “lunch” on Willamette Chardonnay and Crab, hosted at Argyle and further attended by folks like Chahalem, Ponzi, and Domaine Drouhin Oregon. What a way to begin! Soon enough we were checked in to our hotel and being shuttled (in yellow school buses) to the opening “games”. All 50 participating OPC 2011 wineries – an elite bunch – offered two wines to introduce campers to their latest releases while we ‘snacked’ on incredibly fresh and satisfying local fare. (This general theme happily presented itself throughout the trip.)

The next two days were a whirlwind of tasting, sharing, comparing and learning – each ending with a large-format tasting reception and dinner (dancing optional). I tromped through soil pits at Penner Ash, discovered the “multiple personalities of Pinot Noir” at Domain Drouhin Oregon with winemaker-led, blind tasting workshops that delved into questions of vintage variation and the range of styles that exist, learned more about biodynamics/organics, and farming for quality at Elk Cove and enjoyed a panel discussion about Oregon whites at Torii Mor.Camp was interactive bliss.

Long, love story short my affair with Oregon wines will continue. And in the coming months in particular, it will continue with Anne Amie (best in show, best QPR) specifically, but also as I seek out and enjoy the area’s 2010 whites that are coming to market now. They are spectacular, consistently delicious, vibrant, edgy, expressive wines – from Riesling to Pinot Blanc to Pinot Gris (Chard still hasn’t quite won me over wholeheartedly, though Chehalem is a strong exception). These whites will certainly tide me over this summer and early fall as the immature 2009 Pinot Noirs enter the market; these wines are NOT yet at their best and will continue to evolve into the best versions of themselves in the years to come. I encourage you to wait with me – and enjoy as many 2007s as you can find in the meantime. Like good Burgundy, these wines will be worth the wait!

A big thanks to all of the OPC organizers and the many attendees, new friends, who made the experience so memorable.

I never really thought there was such a thing as a “perfect” wine. Sure, there are different ‘categories’ of wine consumption, from the nature/scale of an event in terms of fanciness, food (or not) involved, etc. to that 1 magical bottle that lives forever in your mind. But last weekend I truly think I happened upon a white wine that is a realistic kind of perfect – for any occasion, any time of year, with any group of friends, with food or without.

Casale del Giglio’s 2009 “Satrico” hails from Lazio, Italy. It is an expertly crafted white blend of equal parts Chardonnay (roundness, soft edges, fleshiness – plus light honeydew melon), Sauvignon Blanc (zip and lift at the hand of terrific citrus fruit flavors and light grassy notes) and Trebbiano (which adds mouthwatering, food friendly acidity and crushed hazelnut nuance).

What made this wine “perfect” to me?

It’s approachability – anyone who enjoys wine will find something about this wine that excites them; it’s intriguing because it is complex, but it is so well integrated you don’t get bogged down thinking about what makes you happy to just sip it. It’s texture is also noteworthy – it has a silky entry and a zippy finish.

It’s versatility – you can drink this wine all on its own or have it with just about any kind of food (even if you’re having steak, I’m willing to bet the corn on the cob and salad accompaniments, for example, would bring the whole meal together while sipping this wine).

It’s Italian-ness drives the wine home – so subtle in this particular wine, I love that little bit of satisfying nuttiness that sneaks in there and makes you smile when you realize it’s there.

Long story short, I have a feeling I’m going to be playing favorites this summer, even though I don’t officially have any…

Do you believe in the perfect wine?

Did you end up with a few extra bottles of sparkling wine after New Year’s this year? It seems to be the normal course of things – and many people hesitate to do the obvious thing with these wines, what with official “celebrations” behind us. But corks are meant to come out! Here’s how I’ve gone about tackling this delicious, festive, “problem”:

This New Year the Prosecco of choice for my friends and I was Santome. This is one I’m sure I’ve blogged about in the past, because it delivers lifted, just tart green apple fruit and lemon zest flavors; it’s more crisp, dry nature makes it a good one to make cocktails with if that’s your bag, but it is also delicious all on its own. For $12.99 you have no guilt opening bottle after bottle – and if you stick with it all night, you’re likely in a hangover free zone. But on December 31st we didn’t quite make it through the full case, so I anted up for game night last weekend. Santome was the perfect accompaniment to the deviled egg appetizers I whipped up.

Next, I pulled out the bigger guns in my repertoire…

In my bubbly archives, I discovered I somehow still had one bottle of the 1999 Pierre Morlet Brut. With good friends who enjoy good wine, why not pop a cork? They are meant to come out after all, so what more of an occasion do you need? And this wine had already been in bottle for more than a decade. So as the pork tenderloin rested and the cinnamon scented butternut squash mashed potatoes cooled a little, we popped the cork on this bad boy, too. It had a lovely mousse, with just the right amount of toastiness, red and yellow apple fruits, and a lithe lemon cream texture. A wild accent of hazelnuts mid-palate made this wine a favorite among the group.

After savoring Pierre, we finished our bubbly spree with the very dry, mineral-laced Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut. Another winner, we enjoyed the texture of this wine also, with fine bubbles bringing pear and red apple fruit flavors quickly to bear. This wine was particularly memorable for the previously mentioned minerality – a clean, wet pebble/chalky essence. Delicious vin!

Remember, you don’t need an official celebration or Real Occasion to enjoy sparkling wine. It is the most food friendly option available, pairing with every possible food, and delicious all on it’s own. As you begin to dig your heals into 2011, I beg you to take sparkling wine with you on your travels more frequently! Why not make an easy night in with friends that much more enjoyable?

How often do you drink sparkling wine?