Uncorked: Is Champagne the only fizz worth drinking on New Year’s Eve?
From lesser known European sparklers to underdogs from England’s own wine garden, there’s plenty of alternatives to Champagne to see in the new year, says Tom Harrow
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Your support makes all the difference.Nothing says “happy new year” like popping a bottle of bubbly – but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to Champagne.
From its richer, creamier and much more affordable cousin Cremant to lesser known European rivals such as Italy’s Franciacorta, Spain’s Corpinnat or Geman Sekt – or even underdogs from England’s own wine garden – there’s plenty of alternative sparkling wines out there from the continent and beyond that provide just as much pop and cheer.
We’ve rounded up a few of them for our new series Uncorked, in which we take your burning questions about wine straight to our Independent Wine Club gurus. No question is too big, or too small. Send your questions over and we’ll pop the cork on your biggest grape gripes.
Q. Is Champagne the only fizz worth drinking at New Years?
A. Absolutely not! Champagne has long led the charge as everyone’s celebration drink of choice, but there are a variety of tantalising sparkling wines from elsewhere with which to fill your flutes and coupes this New Year’s Eve. In Europe alone, Italy, Spain, England, Germany, and other parts of France (who could forget Cremant?!) all have beautiful bubbles worth exploring, so as iconic as they are, let’s leave the prestige cuvée Champagnes to one side for a moment and take a tour of some of the continent’s great alternatives.
Brits love Prosecco, and with good reason: a really good bottle of this popular fizz, of which there are an increasing number from the hills of the Veneto region, is an affordable and cocktail-friendly crowdpleaser. But, have you ever tried its more illustrious grownup cousin from nearby Lombardy, Franciacorta? A personal favourite, Franciacorta was the first Italian sparkler to gain DOCG status – the highest level of Italian classification – and it’s easy to see why. Like the best bubbles, this is made with a secondary fermentation in bottle, and extended maturation in the cellars. Styles vary but all are dry, with a fine bead (small bubbles), are very food-friendly, and produced on an astoundingly artisanal scale (Möet et Chandon boasts a larger annual production than the entirety of Franciacorta!). This is a criminally underrated wine well-worth seeking out…
Spain’s most famous fizz is Cava, which in some examples can be very good, though creeping up behind to steal its crown is the lesser known but equally delicious Corpinnat. Spanish vineyards are typically warmer and that makes richer, riper and more immediately hedonic bubbly. Selection is key here, but many across Spain and beyond would argue there are few better ways to usher in the new year than with a decadent salty jamon-laden cracker paired with a top Spanish sparkler!
Further north and for the adventurous, Germany and surrounding countries make some really impressive Sekt, often from Riesling, which makes a real change and also tends to be very reasonably priced, when you can find examples in the UK – but definitely worth seeking out. Similarly affordable is the array of Cremants from across France – with the wares of conscientious growers from as far afield as Alsace, Limoux and the Jura all well worth sampling.
Lastly, looking closer to home, English wine, one of the (few) beneficiaries of climate change, is better than ever and the list of world class wineries from Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Devon is growing every year, producing sparkling wines that can rival Grande Marque Champagnes for depth and intensity while maintaining their distinctive identities. I always enjoy slipping these into blind tastings in the UK and seeing seasoned palates rate the homegrown entrant just as highly as the celebrated cuvées from across the Channel. I’m sure I’ll be seeing out 2022 with some fabulous English fizz, and highly recommend you do the same.
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