wine by Richard Fadeley

Holiday Bubbly!

It's that time of the year when people think of fun, friends, food and fellowship, and nothing can start the proceedings better than the pop of a champagne cork. This year, as we always do, we assembled our tasting panel to sample sparkling wines for your holiday parties. With an exquisite array of appetizers in tow we were determined to present you with a sure-fire list of bubbly for your parties.

Real champagne must come from the Champagne district of France, but sparkling wine is produced in just about every wine-producing region, and they are often good imitations. The United States recently agreed not to name any new wines after the famous French appellation, but some existing bottlers were allowed to continue using the hallowed name.

Champagne is made only with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, though producers in other countries and regions use different varietals. One of our perennial top wines from Alsace is made with 100 percent Pinot Blanc and would be considered a "Blanc de Blancs" or "white from white," while a "Blanc de Noirs" is made with black grapes and sometimes exhibits a pale salmon or light copper color. Most sparklers are blends of both white and black grapes.

Just for fun this year we included a premium-priced champagne to see if we could pick it out from among the 20 wines in our blind tasting. The highly rated '96 Dom Perignon, from Moët and Chandon, was our favorite, and while it was not a life-changing experience, it was clearly the top wine. But several others were nipping at its heels. Chandon's domestic affiliate produces a premium sparkler ‹ with Napa and Sonoma fruit ‹ that is aged for five years on its lees and was a close second to the Dom Perignon, named after the monk that supposedly discovered champagne ‹ he didn't, but he was instrumental in its development. Several champagnes and domestic sparklers were close, but if you decide to splurge on one of these ultra premiums or even a nice champagne, you won't be disappointed. If you need the cachet associated with the real thing, plan on spending $25-$45 dollars, though there are plenty of very good domestic sparklers that will get the job done and cost less that $20! And for the budget-minded, try a Spanish Cava, most of which sell for less than $10.

Bubblies are big-time fun wines and can transform any event into a special occasion. We spared no expense with the food to accompany these special wines. Smoked salmon, scallops, shrimp, sushi, prosciutto ham biscuits and Low Country oysters as well as a caviar pie, baked Brie and Mousse Troufé pate, backed up with plenty of fruit and bread. And for dessert, a raspberry-chocolate cheesecake ‹ perfect!

Champagne is an excellent aperitif, giving a lift to your appetite and a bounce to your spirits, but it can work well with a wide variety of foods, too. We only tasted a small sample of what is on the shelves, and there are plenty of well-made wines in this category. Don't hesitate to include sparkling wine with your meal, as a palate cleanser, if nothing else. All of these locally available sparklers were tasted blind along with the food, and all are refreshing and lively wines that would highlight your holiday party or just for fun with a friend.

Let us hear about your favorite sparkler and what you like with it. We enjoying hearing from you. Happy Holidays!

Let us know about your favorite wine and what you like with it, as well as other wines you would like to see us review. E-mail food@free-times.com.

Free Times Sparkling Wine Review

Our four-star rating system and how it might compare to the Wine Spectator 100-point scale: * = Good (80-84), ** = Very Good (85-87), *** = Very Good/Excellent (88-89),**** = Excellent (90+). All ratings are opinions of our tasters and are not meant to detract from your personal favorites.

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