Add a little sparkle to your holiday table | Phil Your Glass
The world produces 2.5 billion bottles of sparkling wine per year, according to a recent Forbes magazine article. So why on earth do people limit themselves to the ABCs? Always Buy Champagne. That region in France gets all of the attention. I like to take the road less traveled. Many times it leads me to a land of unexpected pleasantries.
Everyone has heard of Italian prosecco, but not many people have heard of a vino spumante from Puglia, a lesser-known region down south. This sparkling wine is made from 100% bombino bianco grapes. It's extra dry with very fine, persistent bubbles in the glass. The smaller the bubbles, the higher quality sparkling wine. I’m getting to be quite the bubble snob, and I think this is a steal of a deal at $9.99. The price says use it in a mimosa, however, I think it’s too good for that.
These bubbles were delicious with a few Korean-style (pork and vegetable) steamed dumplings that I got from Giant Eagle Market District’s frozen food section. The wine and the spicy mae poi sauce were awesome together. I like how it paired with feta-stuffed olives from Krieger’s and a hunk of brie topped with fig spread. A piece of fontina cheese and a few kettle cooked chips were great as well. Something from all four food groups, so we can enjoy this bottle guilt free.
Buy this wine at Krieger’s Market, Mustard Seed Market in Montrose, Home Buys in Canton, Fishers on Fulton, Corkscrew Johnny’s in Richfield, and Top Shelf of Ohio in Jackson Township
Italy produces 27% of all sparkling wine made in the world. France is next at 22%.
My all-time favorite bottle of sparkling wine on the planet is Bonfadini Franciacorta Rosé. Franciacorta is made in the same method as Champagne in the Lombardy region of Lake Iseo, which is located about an hour east of Milan. It is one of Italy’s high-end sparkling wines that is quickly gaining popularity in the United States and around the globe.
Bonfadini’s $32.99 rosé fills your glass with raspberry cream aromas and an endless stream of relentless bubbles. It’s a magnificent food wine as it paired wonderfully with Maryland crabcakes, shrimp cocktail, fontina cheese, Venetian fennel salami slices from Gust Gallucci’s Italian Foods & Market, and a Cajun crawfish roll from the Market District. A few kettle cooked chips and a quiet night around your Christmas tree with that special someone is an amazing pairing too!
Buy this wine at Papa Joe’s, Krieger’s Market, Fishers on Fulton, Beau’s Market in Copley, The Merchant Tavern, Lucca Downtown in Canton, H2 Wine Merchants in Medina, Little Italy Wines in Cleveland, Avalon Inn and Resort in Warren
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South America isn’t the first place that comes to mind when thinking about sparkling wine; however, I like to keep an open mind and an empty glass just in case a bottle pops open.
Argentina’s iconic nightclubs are the inspiration for the $13.99 bottle of Baja Tango sparkling rosé from Mendoza. Winemakers Christopher Ermisch and Guillermo Heras craft this bottle of fizzy frolic from a blend of 95% chenin blanc, 4% torrontes and 1% malbec. Definitely a fun bottle, from the eye-catching Art Deco label to the perky bubbles and the strawberry cream flavors.
I loved how this rosé paired with a carryout order of tempura fried green beans from from Darby’s on 59, an order of Leonardo’s hot rice, a few slices of the Venetian fennel salami from Gust Gallucci’s Italian Foods & Market, and my new favorite: cranberry phyllo dough crisps from Fishers on Fulton and Beau’s Market in Copley. They are $5.99 a box and handmade in Croatia.
Stay bubbly, my friends.
Buy this wine at Krieger’s Market, Mustard Seed Market, Beau’s Market in Copley, Fishers on Fulton, Uncorked Wine Bar in Akron, Ohio Brewing Co. in Cuyahoga Falls, Grapes in a Glass in Canton, Montavino Wine Market in Wooster.
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Send me an email at philyourglass@gmail.com with any wine questions and follow me on Instagram @pmasturzo_philyourglass.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: sparkling wine options other than Champagne, from Italy and Argentina
