Sure, you can drop a pretty penny on grower Champagne ($40 gets you entry-level) and impress your wine nerd friends. But the holidays are about gathering, so more affordable alternatives will still keep the social juices flowing without having to raid your kid's college fund. That's what this trip is all about. What's more, two of these are rosés, which seem to be all the rage these days.
Remember, chill all sparkling wines as cold as you can get them. And enjoy responsibly.
Also made from organic grapes, this 12% sparkling rosé is made from the traditional grapes of Champagne, pinot noir and chardonnay, and hails from the high altitude vineyards of Tupungato in Argentina. Far less carbonated than most other sparkling wines, rather than overflow with an energetic head, this medium pink/peach-colored bubbly settles down quickly, with threads of tiny bubbles making for a hypnotic beverage to look at. Like the other two here, this also has a very clean nose, but one that does not foreshadow the more assertive flavors awaiting in the flute. Distinctive body and acidity.
Fiol Prosecco Extra Dry $19
Packaged in a modern, sleek-looking bottle, this extra dry Prosecco clocks in at 11% and is from the broad Prosecco appellation. Super pale, even seltzer-like in soft Christmas lighting, it shows medium-sized bubbles, and rapidly-receding carbonation. The nose is flinty and clean. On the palate it is exceedingly easy-drinking, with direct dry green apple and pear, and a short finish. Sure to be a crowd pleaser. 100% glera.
Corvezzo Prosecco DOC Rosé Extra Dry Millesimato 2022 $13
Also from the broad Prosecco DOC, this rosé, made from organic grapes, clocks in at 11.5% and comes in a highly stylized, squat bottle. In the glass, it's a very pale salmon, with a large head when first poured. After the initial largish bubbles calm, multiple streams of the tiniest bubbles thread their way from the bottom of the glass to the surface. Extremely clean nose. Very dry, this sparkling has a small burst of fruit upfront, framed by food-friendly acidity. 85% glera, 15% pinot nero.
Packaged in a modern, sleek-looking bottle, this extra dry Prosecco clocks in at 11% and is from the broad Prosecco appellation. Super pale, even seltzer-like in soft Christmas lighting, it shows medium-sized bubbles, and rapidly-receding carbonation. The nose is flinty and clean. On the palate it is exceedingly easy-drinking, with direct dry green apple and pear, and a short finish. Sure to be a crowd pleaser. 100% glera.
Corvezzo Prosecco DOC Rosé Extra Dry Millesimato 2022 $13
Also from the broad Prosecco DOC, this rosé, made from organic grapes, clocks in at 11.5% and comes in a highly stylized, squat bottle. In the glass, it's a very pale salmon, with a large head when first poured. After the initial largish bubbles calm, multiple streams of the tiniest bubbles thread their way from the bottom of the glass to the surface. Extremely clean nose. Very dry, this sparkling has a small burst of fruit upfront, framed by food-friendly acidity. 85% glera, 15% pinot nero.