Best bubbles for your buck
For those of us whose desert island wine would be sparkling (what else would you drink with desert island oysters?), the sound of a cork popping out of a bottle of bubbly is practically Pavlovian: our heads snap in the direction of the sound, our mouths start watering.
We sparkling wine lovers don't need a special occasion to crack a bottle of bubbly, although I've had a couple reasons to pop open some Champagne this year, with my daughter turning 18 in January and then graduating high school in June.
But since I can't afford the good stuff year-round, I test drove six more affordable bubblies recently, some serviceable and ready for your favourite fizzy cocktail, and others truly tasty on their own and ideal for serving well chilled during summer patio season (air quality permitting).
And if you really need a reason to crack open some sparkling wine this weekend, how about this: today (July 12) is apparently International Cava Day. You know what to do.
uncorked@mts.net
@bensigurdson
Segura Viudas NV Brut Cava (Guarda, Spain — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)
Like most cavas, the Segura's a blend of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo grapes, made in the traditional method of fermentation in the bottle. It's very pale straw in colour, and offers green apple skin, chalk, lemon zest, floral and subtle saline notes aromatically. It's light-bodied and mainly dry, with lively effervescence ramping up the citrus and chalky notes, keeping things lean and (slightly) green, while the white peach and tart apple notes add some depth of flavour. The 12 per cent alcohol seems just right. 3.5/5
Jeio Belstar NV Vaporetto No. 8 Prosecco (Veneto, Italy — $26.99, The Winehouse)
Made from the Glera grape (as are most proseccos), this pale straw-coloured bubbly offers floral, chalky, red apple, crisp peach and lemon candy notes on the nose. It's dry and light-bodied, with medium acidity that comes with peach, red apple, lemon zest, melon and a subtle chalky note. Decent on its own, with a bit more complexity than your typical prosecco. Available at The Winehouse. 3/5
Doña Dominga NV Brut Sparkling (Colchagua Valley, Chile — around $17, private wine stores)
This lively bubbly from Chile's Colchagua Valley is made from 100 per cent Chardonnay; it's pale straw in colour and offers fresh pear and peach aromas, secondary chalky and lemon notes and a subtle herbacious component. It's light-plus bodied and bone dry, with racy acidity and effervescence delivering crunchy red apple, peach, lemon rind and subtle toasty, nutty notes before the medium-length finish (it's 12.5 per cent alcohol). A very good bubbly for the price; available at Ellement Wine + Spirits and The Pourium. 4/5
Yes Way NV Rosé Bubbles (France — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)
A blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Muscat grapes grown in southern France, this sparkling rosé is made in the Charmat method, where the bubbles are added while the wine's still in tanks. It's pale pinkish-orange in colour, and aromatically brings simple peach, pear and strawberry candy notes on the nose. It's light-bodied and slightly off-dry, with fizzy effervescence bringing cheerful peach candy, lemon zest and red apple flavours. A good candidate for fizzy cocktails. 3/5
Henry of Pelham Family Estate NV Cuvée Catharine (Niagara Peninsula, Ont. — $33.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)
A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made in the traditional method, this Niagara bubbly is pale straw in appearance and offers beautiful bread dough, chalky, herbal, red apple skin and lemon aromas, with hints of toasted nut and lime adding depth. It's a light-plus-bodied, bone-dry sparkling, delivering up-front bread dough, nutty, lemon zest, green apple skin and chalky flavours, with vibrant bubbles and acidity and great length (thanks in part to the 12 per cent alcohol). Better than some entry-level French Champagnes that sells for twice the price or more. 5/5
Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer
Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.
In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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Winnipeg Free Press
12-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Best bubbles for your buck
Opinion For those of us whose desert island wine would be sparkling (what else would you drink with desert island oysters?), the sound of a cork popping out of a bottle of bubbly is practically Pavlovian: our heads snap in the direction of the sound, our mouths start watering. We sparkling wine lovers don't need a special occasion to crack a bottle of bubbly, although I've had a couple reasons to pop open some Champagne this year, with my daughter turning 18 in January and then graduating high school in June. But since I can't afford the good stuff year-round, I test drove six more affordable bubblies recently, some serviceable and ready for your favourite fizzy cocktail, and others truly tasty on their own and ideal for serving well chilled during summer patio season (air quality permitting). And if you really need a reason to crack open some sparkling wine this weekend, how about this: today (July 12) is apparently International Cava Day. You know what to do. uncorked@ @bensigurdson Segura Viudas NV Brut Cava (Guarda, Spain — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Like most cavas, the Segura's a blend of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo grapes, made in the traditional method of fermentation in the bottle. It's very pale straw in colour, and offers green apple skin, chalk, lemon zest, floral and subtle saline notes aromatically. It's light-bodied and mainly dry, with lively effervescence ramping up the citrus and chalky notes, keeping things lean and (slightly) green, while the white peach and tart apple notes add some depth of flavour. The 12 per cent alcohol seems just right. 3.5/5 Jeio Belstar NV Vaporetto No. 8 Prosecco (Veneto, Italy — $26.99, The Winehouse) Made from the Glera grape (as are most proseccos), this pale straw-coloured bubbly offers floral, chalky, red apple, crisp peach and lemon candy notes on the nose. It's dry and light-bodied, with medium acidity that comes with peach, red apple, lemon zest, melon and a subtle chalky note. Decent on its own, with a bit more complexity than your typical prosecco. Available at The Winehouse. 3/5 Doña Dominga NV Brut Sparkling (Colchagua Valley, Chile — around $17, private wine stores) This lively bubbly from Chile's Colchagua Valley is made from 100 per cent Chardonnay; it's pale straw in colour and offers fresh pear and peach aromas, secondary chalky and lemon notes and a subtle herbacious component. It's light-plus bodied and bone dry, with racy acidity and effervescence delivering crunchy red apple, peach, lemon rind and subtle toasty, nutty notes before the medium-length finish (it's 12.5 per cent alcohol). A very good bubbly for the price; available at Ellement Wine + Spirits and The Pourium. 4/5 Yes Way NV Rosé Bubbles (France — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) A blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Muscat grapes grown in southern France, this sparkling rosé is made in the Charmat method, where the bubbles are added while the wine's still in tanks. It's pale pinkish-orange in colour, and aromatically brings simple peach, pear and strawberry candy notes on the nose. It's light-bodied and slightly off-dry, with fizzy effervescence bringing cheerful peach candy, lemon zest and red apple flavours. A good candidate for fizzy cocktails. 3/5 Henry of Pelham Family Estate NV Cuvée Catharine (Niagara Peninsula, Ont. — $33.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made in the traditional method, this Niagara bubbly is pale straw in appearance and offers beautiful bread dough, chalky, herbal, red apple skin and lemon aromas, with hints of toasted nut and lime adding depth. It's a light-plus-bodied, bone-dry sparkling, delivering up-front bread dough, nutty, lemon zest, green apple skin and chalky flavours, with vibrant bubbles and acidity and great length (thanks in part to the 12 per cent alcohol). Better than some entry-level French Champagnes that sells for twice the price or more. 5/5 Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Vancouver Sun
23-06-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Want to travel Canada? Montreal delivers luxury, glam and whimsy
Article content Montreal's Golden Square Mile is the launch pad to the city's wistful, whimsical sensory encounters — and Barbie like you've never seen. In the heart of the area is the Four Seasons Hotel Montreal: luxury base camp. From the rosé-hued velvet wallpaper in the reception lobby, to the cheeky photos of — and taken by — Margaret Trudeau that line the walls of the third-floor hallways of the lounge and Marcus restaurant, this five-star hotel is not one to satisfy decor requirements with the generic. Instead, there are ever-changing art installations on each floor, and whimsical touches, such as a crystal infinity crab sculpture that marks the entrance to the adjoining Holt Renfrew Ogilvy store. Executive chef Jason Morris helms the Four Seasons Marcus restaurant and is renowned for elevating Canadian cuisine. On this night, he's creating a personal six-course menu, served with wine pairings. This chef counter tasting experience — a concept popular in Asian markets — must be reserved and typically has the diner, or diners, at the bar with a front-row seat, but it can be reserved for as many as 12 people. From a bar stool at the counter, it's a culinary performance as Morris crafts each dish, such as a creamy potato latke topped with two types of caviar; sustainably caught tuna with Quebec horseradish cream; and cod with white asparagus and Champagne sauce. 'The kitchen is the stage everyone can see, it's like a performance,' says Richard Feldman, the restaurant's general manger. Need to get in touch with your chill side? Head to the Guerlain Spa Care and its Kneipp hydrotherapy, one of the oldest forms of treatment using hot and cold water and a reflexology path and one which is rarely found in North American spas. Start with dipping your feet into the hot bath that features a bed of smooth stones on which to carefully walk, before moving to the cold plunge. A gingerly walk on the reflexology path stimulates blood flow and boosts the immune system with a Zen-like calm. History through art and architecture The Four Seasons abuts Crescent Street, home to the iconic 21-storey wall mural — titled Tower of Songs — of the late Leonard Cohen, one of two murals honouring the Canadian singer and songwriter. Cohen often referred to himself as neither a Canadian, nor a Quebecer, but a Montrealer. You can sit in the Four Seasons' dining room with Cohen for company as he looks down through the windows. Within walking distance is Les Quartiers du Canal, which includes the up-and-coming Griffintown neighbourhood, Little Burgundy and Saint-Henri and is peppered with artistic murals, and 18th century architecture along the Lachine Canal. You can tour these neighbourhoods in an afternoon without breaking a sweat. Griffintown borders the canal on the south, and a biking and walking path snakes through a picturesque neighbourhood dotted with cafés, shops and antique stores. A favourite restaurant for locals is Nora Gray, ranked as one of Canada's 100 best with its take on southern Italian cuisine. And they serve ramps — an exciting surprise. Ramps are a delicacy unique to Eastern Canada and the U.S. and related to the wild onion and garlic family, or perhaps a cousin to spring onions and leeks. You can't buy this delicacy at a grocery store because it takes seven years for a ramp rhizome to become a shoot. Ramps' pungent, garlicky flavour is prized among chefs, and their appearance on menus heralds spring. Next to Griffintown is Little Burgundy, which was home to Black English-speaking residents, most of whom were labourers and sleeping car porters on railway lines and was known as Harlem of the North in the 1920s. The late jazz pianist Oscar Peterson was raised in Little Burgundy and a three-storey mural honours him and his contribution to jazz, as does another mural of Oliver Jones. Montreal's murals are stunning — all 3,500 of them and counting. Take a stroll over to the Atwater Market, housed in an art deco building from 1933 in Saint-Henri — another jewel in Montreal's crown of architectural enchantments. You could try to find some ramps, but local chefs will likely beat you to it. Nearby is the Atwater Cocktail Club — a very cool neighbourhood speakeasy-style bar whose entrance is from an alley on Atwater Avenue. The bar is dark and cosy but with shiny, banquets: brasserie style with sophistication. All dressed up The McCord Stewart Museum, a walk of less than 10 minutes from the hotel, is renowned for documenting the city's social history. Costume Balls, Dressing History, 1870-1927, is a sassy exhibit of more than 40 costumes that runs until Aug. 17 and tracks the lavish parties and skating carnivals of the city's elite. The costumes were created — or were ancestral outfits brought out to vamp at these events — more than a century before selfies took over this performance art. The crowning costume riff is at Expo Barbie, the largest permanent Barbie exhibit in the world with more than 1,000 dolls — and it's just three blocks from the hotel. The exhibit is the creation of a member of a company that owns Les Cours Mont-Royal mall, in which all the Barbies make their home. Admission is free. This is not everyday Barbie, but a glam gal in custom couture gowns and sometimes not even as herself: she is Jennifer Lopez Barbie; she is Rose, from the Titanic movie, Barbie; Mulder and Scully Barbie from the X Files; and Barbie decked out in Vera Wang and Armani, and then putting in an appearance with Daniel Craig, James Bond style. She also undertakes the cutest shilling for brands such as Coca-Cola, Pottery Barn and Ferrari that any mortal woman would be hard pressed to pull off. Go Barbie. Go Montreal.
Calgary Herald
23-06-2025
- Calgary Herald
Want to travel Canada? Montreal delivers luxury, glam and whimsy
Article content Montreal's Golden Square Mile is the launch pad to the city's wistful, whimsical sensory encounters — and Barbie like you've never seen. In the heart of the area is the Four Seasons Hotel Montreal: luxury base camp. From the rosé-hued velvet wallpaper in the reception lobby, to the cheeky photos of — and taken by — Margaret Trudeau that line the walls of the third-floor hallways of the lounge and Marcus restaurant, this five-star hotel is not one to satisfy decor requirements with the generic. Instead, there are ever-changing art installations on each floor, and whimsical touches, such as a crystal infinity crab sculpture that marks the entrance to the adjoining Holt Renfrew Ogilvy store. Executive chef Jason Morris helms the Four Seasons Marcus restaurant and is renowned for elevating Canadian cuisine. On this night, he's creating a personal six-course menu, served with wine pairings. This chef counter tasting experience — a concept popular in Asian markets — must be reserved and typically has the diner, or diners, at the bar with a front-row seat, but it can be reserved for as many as 12 people. From a bar stool at the counter, it's a culinary performance as Morris crafts each dish, such as a creamy potato latke topped with two types of caviar; sustainably caught tuna with Quebec horseradish cream; and cod with white asparagus and Champagne sauce. 'The kitchen is the stage everyone can see, it's like a performance,' says Richard Feldman, the restaurant's general manger. Need to get in touch with your chill side? Head to the Guerlain Spa Care and its Kneipp hydrotherapy, one of the oldest forms of treatment using hot and cold water and a reflexology path and one which is rarely found in North American spas. Start with dipping your feet into the hot bath that features a bed of smooth stones on which to carefully walk, before moving to the cold plunge. A gingerly walk on the reflexology path stimulates blood flow and boosts the immune system with a Zen-like calm. History through art and architecture The Four Seasons abuts Crescent Street, home to the iconic 21-storey wall mural — titled Tower of Songs — of the late Leonard Cohen, one of two murals honouring the Canadian singer and songwriter. Cohen often referred to himself as neither a Canadian, nor a Quebecer, but a Montrealer. You can sit in the Four Seasons' dining room with Cohen for company as he looks down through the windows. Within walking distance is Les Quartiers du Canal, which includes the up-and-coming Griffintown neighbourhood, Little Burgundy and Saint-Henri and is peppered with artistic murals, and 18th century architecture along the Lachine Canal. You can tour these neighbourhoods in an afternoon without breaking a sweat. Griffintown borders the canal on the south, and a biking and walking path snakes through a picturesque neighbourhood dotted with cafés, shops and antique stores. A favourite restaurant for locals is Nora Gray, ranked as one of Canada's 100 best with its take on southern Italian cuisine. And they serve ramps — an exciting surprise. Ramps are a delicacy unique to Eastern Canada and the U.S. and related to the wild onion and garlic family, or perhaps a cousin to spring onions and leeks. You can't buy this delicacy at a grocery store because it takes seven years for a ramp rhizome to become a shoot. Ramps' pungent, garlicky flavour is prized among chefs, and their appearance on menus heralds spring. Next to Griffintown is Little Burgundy, which was home to Black English-speaking residents, most of whom were labourers and sleeping car porters on railway lines and was known as Harlem of the North in the 1920s. The late jazz pianist Oscar Peterson was raised in Little Burgundy and a three-storey mural honours him and his contribution to jazz, as does another mural of Oliver Jones. Montreal's murals are stunning — all 3,500 of them and counting. Take a stroll over to the Atwater Market, housed in an art deco building from 1933 in Saint-Henri — another jewel in Montreal's crown of architectural enchantments. You could try to find some ramps, but local chefs will likely beat you to it. Nearby is the Atwater Cocktail Club — a very cool neighbourhood speakeasy-style bar whose entrance is from an alley on Atwater Avenue. The bar is dark and cosy but with shiny, banquets: brasserie style with sophistication. All dressed up The McCord Stewart Museum, a walk of less than 10 minutes from the hotel, is renowned for documenting the city's social history. Costume Balls, Dressing History, 1870-1927, is a sassy exhibit of more than 40 costumes that runs until Aug. 17 and tracks the lavish parties and skating carnivals of the city's elite. The costumes were created — or were ancestral outfits brought out to vamp at these events — more than a century before selfies took over this performance art. The crowning costume riff is at Expo Barbie, the largest permanent Barbie exhibit in the world with more than 1,000 dolls — and it's just three blocks from the hotel. The exhibit is the creation of a member of a company that owns Les Cours Mont-Royal mall, in which all the Barbies make their home. Admission is free. This is not everyday Barbie, but a glam gal in custom couture gowns and sometimes not even as herself: she is Jennifer Lopez Barbie; she is Rose, from the Titanic movie, Barbie; Mulder and Scully Barbie from the X Files; and Barbie decked out in Vera Wang and Armani, and then putting in an appearance with Daniel Craig, James Bond style. She also undertakes the cutest shilling for brands such as Coca-Cola, Pottery Barn and Ferrari that any mortal woman would be hard pressed to pull off. Go Barbie. Go Montreal.
