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Champagne Problems: The Big Shortage
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While the Atlanta Braves—aka The Burgundy Boys—are living their best Champagne lives and parading around town with their coveted World Series trophy, the rest of us are planning for disastrous travel and Champagne shortages this holiday season.
If you thought inflation was bad before (sorry Milk fans), just wait until the supply chain issues mess with your bottle popping budget. With shipping debacles trapping things in port or out at sea, climate change wreaking havoc on vineyards, and the increased consumption of bubbly during Covid, we may need to find some alternative celebratory juice.
This week, in anticipation of a Champagne-less end to the year, we went full method on Traditional Method to unlock sparkling wine bangers from places not named Champagne. Further proof that we're all experts in microeconomics now. Here are 7 Traditional Method Sparkling Wines for the Big Shortage.
— Josh Entman, Founder
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Österreicher Sekt Szigeti Brut Nature
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Welschriesling from Burgenland, Austria 🇦🇹
$39.99
If you're looking for a funky, tasty, high acid bomb made from a relatively obscure grape varietal (Welschrielsing is unrelated to Riesling), this traditional method Austrian sparkler checks the boxes. It’s sekt, or dry, as indicated by “zero dosage” on the label, with flavors of orchard fruits, brioche, and honeycomb. It’s oddly reminiscent of a Hungarian Tokaji, but without the sweetness. Super food friendly and about as unique as it comes for traditional method wines. 7.8
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Domaine de Montbourgeau Crémant
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Chardonnay from Jura, France 🇫🇷
$28.99
Jura as a region is known for obscure local grapes, unique production methods, and distinctively funky styles. But don't forget the traditional method Crémants. Not only are they a delicious Champagne alternative, they come at a great price point. Like a B-list celebrity. Domaine de Montbourgeau’s Crémant de Jura is 100% Chardonnay with a satiny yet muscular body and lightning rod acidity. Juicy green apple, pear, lemon, bread dough, and toasted hazelnuts surround a mineral core. Fun to hang out with. 7.9
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2017 Mata | Coloma "Pere Mata" Cupada 22 Brut Nature Reserva
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Xarel-lo-Macabeu-Parellada from Cava, Spain 🇪🇸
$22.00
Mata I Coloma Cavas are made with the seriousness and commitment of grower Champagnes, combined with the soul and passion of Spanish culture. It’s a bubbly of striking purity. Lemons, apples, almonds and biscuit are all found here with racy, no nonsense intensity and power. Winemaker Pere Mata, describes his wines as “simple enough to drink with reckless abandon.” Playful AND soulful... that's our speed. 8.0
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2017 Argyle Blanc de Noirs
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Pinot Noir-Pinot Meunier from Willamette Valley, OR 🇺🇸
$30.00
Don’t call it a comeback. Argyle prints aren’t just for Hipsters imitating Grandpa or Preppies walking around NYC like its Y2K. Oregon OG producer Argyle is always in style and this vintage ‘Blanc de Noirs’ is great for sweater weather. A classically made Brut sourced entirely from estate-grown red grapes, the Noir has a rich, silky body, firm structure, and vibrant acidity. Notes of red cherry, cranberry, and plum are topped off with lemon zest and breadcrumbs. Vintage sparkling wines are rare at this price point. Up your fashion sense. 8.0
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2015 Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs
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Chardonnay from Western Cape, South Africa 🇿🇦
$30.99
Let’s step it up with this vintage cap classique from South Africa. It’s tight and full of electric tension, kinda like the metallic gowns and diamond tiaras strutting down the aisle at Paris Fashion week. This bubbly is brimming with tart lemons, pastry dough, almond skins and a generous topping of citrus zest. You can start your holiday shopping spree a little early. This dressed up bottling gives the extra flare you might be looking for this season. 8.1
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Pinot Noir from Tasmania, Australia 🇦🇺
$19.99
Tasmania may seem like a fictional place loosely associated with a wild spinning cartoon character from Space Jam. But it's also a legit island state of Australia kicking out some solid sparkling wine. Made from 100% Pinot Noir, this traditional method sparkling rosé has a round body, silky texture, and notes of red berries, grapefruit, rhubarb, rose, and fresh cream. 24 months on the lees provides a distinct nutty, brioche character on the back. This is date night in a bottle. Get comfy. 8.2
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Faccoli Franciacorta Brut
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Pinot Noir-Chardonnay-Pinot Blanc from Lombardy, Italy 🇮🇹
$43.00
In the world of Italian sparkling wines, Prosecco is a light lager while Franciacorta is a rich, craft IPA. Like with beer, the reason boils down to production. Light and fruity Prosecco is made via the tank method, whereas bold, complex Franciacorta is as traditional as it gets. This brut spumante delivers with crisp acidity, structured body, and creamy mousse. The wine opens with yellow apple, pear, lemon, melon, and honeysuckle, followed by fresh buttered biscuits and almonds. Elegant with a little bit of jazz improvisation. 8.2
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Hi! I'm Natalie Pelletier, aka @DrinkNattyWines. This is my new column where each week I go deeeep on a bottle of Natural Wine that you should put in your naturally made canvas tote, bring to your naturally lit apartment, and pop open for all to enjoy. I hope it inspires great conversation amongst friends and family, and brings out the troublemaker in all of us—naturally ;)
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2020 CIVIC WINERY PÉT-NAT AMPHORA
Willamette Valley, OR
$24.00
Say hello to your new fizzy crush. Pear skin, grapefruit, a kiss of lemon, and gentle fiiiineee bubbles make Civic Winery’s biodynamic pét-nat the perfect bottle to pop and celebrate the week’s little (and big) wins. Unlike sparkling wine made in the traditional method, pétillant natural aka pét-nats go through what’s known as method ancestral. Let’s break it down.
*Still wine* becomes bubbly wine when it is bottled while still undergoing fermentation. For pét-nat, the bottle is sealed with a crown cap (like the one on a glass beer bottle) which traps in the byproduct, CO2, and creates carbonation.
*Crown caps* may allow for easy opening, but the liveliness of pét-nats can range from mildly active to volcanic, so I usually open over the sink in case they fizz over.
*Fun fact* on this flirty fizz is that both the Pinot Noir (90%) and Chenin Blanc (10%) are racked off in amphora before bottling. This method allows oxygen in but is a neutral material like stainless steel, so won’t impart any flavors.
*Amphora* is a very old school clay vessel that has been a part of the winemaking process for over 6,000 years. So you know... what's old is new again.
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IF YOU DON'T KNOW, NOW YOU KNOW
The Treaty of Versailles that brought WWI to an end, also prohibited the use of the name "Champagne" on sparkling wine labels outside of the region for all that were party to the Treaty. So while the US was party to and signed the treaty, the US Senate never ratified the agreement, leaving the door open for US sparkling wine producers to use the term "Champagne." It wasn’t until 2005, that the US in trade talks with the EU agreed to drop the French nomenclature from labels—with the exception of those making use of the terms prior to 2006.
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This week's edition was brought to you by Kristy Wenz, Natalie Pelletier, Madison Powers Varunok
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