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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.