By Babs S. Harrison
Nothing puts you into a festive spirit faster than a glass of Champagne.
The pop of a cork, the random effervescence of a million delicate bubbles dancing in a glass, the foaming mousse…it’s pure pleasure that celebrates a moment with elegance and lavish optimism.
All Champagne is sparkling, but not all that sparkles is Champagne. Only wine produced according to strict regulations from grapes grown and harvested in the region of Champagne, north of Paris, can use the name. Everything else is sparkling wine, and there is a lot to explore. Including Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco and American sparkling wines using the méthode champenoise.
Champagnes & Sparkling Wines from the Castle Hot Springs Cellar
To help us navigate through the wine cellar is wine connoisseur Sarah Foote, director of wine at Castle Hot Springs. She has made wine, poured wine at some of the finest restaurants like The French Laundry, and her first solo-authored wine list for Harvest restaurant received Wine Spectator’s 2022 Award of Excellence. Like the best sommeliers, she is excited to share her gift of wine knowledge with the curious, taking you and your palate on a journey. Explore lesser-known but delicious wines that might just become your new favorites.
From an award-winning wine cellar filled with a curated selection of wines, here are just a few of Sarah’s sparkling choices for amplifying the joy of the holiday season.
Splurge with a Rose Gold Champagne
If you’re looking to splurge on something fantastic, Sarah suggests a prestige cuvée, specifically the 2006 Billecart-Salmon Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth.
“This cuvée was created in 1988 in homage to Elisabeth Salmon, co-founder of the maison,” says Sarah. “The rosé Champagne is made by blending the signature subtlety of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.”
Wine critic James Suckling describes this rose gold Champagne as “exuberant with unashamedly expressive red cherries.” Now this is something to put a smile on your face and share with someone you love.
Sip on a French-Style Sparkling Wine
For a tasty bubbly that’s also a good value, Sarah suggests a French-style sparkling from a family-owned winery in Albuquerque called Gruet.
“The Gruet family brought generational winemaking knowledge from France and has been making wine in New Mexico for almost 40 years,” she says. “The wine is made in méthode champenoise with a base of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The price point is much more approachable than classic Champagne.”
The beauty of a good wine list and sommelier is the opportunity it gives you to try something not easily found at your local wine shop, and trust that it will be enjoyable, like Patrick Bottex Rosé Bugey-Cerdon La Cueille.
“The Bugey appellation of France is situated between Lyon and Geneva with an annual wine production of only around 4,000 cases,” says Sarah. “This expression from Patrick Bottex is made of 90% Gamay and 10% Poulsard. The first thing you notice about this wine is the striking deep salmon color in the glass. The lower alcohol content, touch of residual sugar, and crisp acid content make it a perfect wine to sip on an Arizona patio.”
Toast to the Fun & Obscure
Another excellent choice, and a rare find with which to impress your table with your esoteric knowledge, is the 2015 Harper Voit Blanc de Blancs from Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon.
“This is a fun and obscure wine,” Sarah explains. “Typically, blanc de blancs are made from Chardonnay, but Drew Voit makes this expression with pinot blanc as he thinks the grape is just as noble as Chardonnay.”
Now that is a conversation starter for budding wine geeks.
Indulge in a Traditional Cava
One especially fine Cava is made in Penedes, Spain, using biodynamic methods. Raventós i Blanc de Nit Rosé is mineral-fresh and crisp, with a subtle pink hue.
“Raventos is one of the longest documented winegrowing producers in the world, with the land being owned since 1497,” says Sarah.
This just might become your go-to choice for many meals to come.
The Choice is Yours
Remember that Champagne pairs extraordinarily well with a meal. Have fun taking it high or low with food pairings. Because it goes well with salty and fried foods, Sarah suggests trying it with fried chicken, ripe cheeses and popcorn. When you dine at Harvest, she recommends the potato blini with chive crème fraîche and caviar as the perfect bite to pair with a sip of Champagne.
Whatever your taste or budget, there is a sparkling wine with your name on it. Raise a glass and toast to the holidays, but keep it short. Those bubbles won’t dance forever. Here’s a short toast from Rudyard Kipling to keep in your back pocket:
“Here’s to us that are here, to you that are there, and the rest of us everywhere.”
Cheers!