This time of year is always a great one to enjoy sparkling wines. These bubbly wines are great for backyard gatherings and summer cuisine – shellfish, grilled pizza, chicken kebobs – and cheese and meat boards. Their effervescence tickles the nose. The most famous sparkling wines are France’s Champagne. However, there is a bigger world
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TICKLING THE NOSE: There’s more types of sparkling wine beyond Champagne. From left are recommended brands Franciacorta, Prosecco and cava.
COURTESY JESSICA NORRIS GRANATIERO[/caption]
Cava. It’s the most prominent sparkling wine from Spain and is made from a blend of grapes, typically xarel-lo, macabeo and parellada. But other international varietals such as pinot noir and chardonnay can also be used. Cava has the status of the denominación de origen [DO] that provides regulations around its production. In addition, it can be made in only six areas of Spain, with most cava coming from Catalunya. Unlike Prosecco, cava is made in the traditional method – Champagne method – with the secondary fermentation occurring in the bottle, not a tank. This elaborate process often leads to a slightly higher price. Yet cava is still less expensive than Champagne. I like the Biutiful Cava Brut Nature, which sits at less than $20 and has no added sugar, giving it a crisp, dry style with notes of green apple and pear.
Franciacorta. It’s a sparkling wine that shares its name with the region where it is produced. Located an hour east of Milan, Franciacorta is a gastronomic haven that features ancient Etruscan towns and borders Switzerland. Like Cava, Franciacorta is similar in winemaking style to Champagne, with the second fermentation occurring in the bottle. Franciacorta is aged for about 18 months (a riserva can go up to at least 60 months) before it is released on the market. It is known for its longevity. This process and its aging requirements give Franciacorta weight and complexity. It usually sits at a higher price point than Prosecco. Franciacorta is a blend of mostly chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot blanc and erbamat grapes. My go-to is Mirabella Edea Franciacorta. This is a blanc de blanc style, which means it’s a white sparkling wine made from white grapes – in this case, chardonnay and pinot blanc.
Jessica Norris Granatiero is the founder of The Savory Grape, a wine, beer and spirits shop in East Greenwich. She can be reached through her website, www.jessicagranatiero.com.