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Posted by Marguerite Thomas on January 25, 2012 at 11:26 AM
For me, sparkling wine is not just for celebration, and not just for warm weather pleasure. I was recently reminded of how much I enjoy bubbles, and how versatile they really can be, when I opened up a bottle of sparkling pink Moscato from Italy’s Puglia province (M/Mochetto, Rosato, $17, imported by Quintessential). I sipped a glassful of the lightly effervescent fizz as I puttered around the kitchen making salmon patties for dinner, and then I decided what-the-heck--I’m enjoying this so much I might as well put that bottle of Chardonnay back in the fridge and pour the Moscato with supper instead.
The wine is distinctly sweet, with Moscato’s characteristic floral aromas, but its little slap of acidity at the end of each sip revitalizes the taste buds and keeps the wine from slipping into the doldrums. The fact that it is low in alcohol (5%) placed the wine in perfect balance with the relatively simple salmon cakes. In fact, this charming little pink wine was so delectable that it got me musing about the variety of sparkling wines that Italy produces.
A couple of regions make their spumante using the traditional sparkling wine method (a second fermentation in the bottle, riddling, disgorgement), but most rely on the slightly less expensive Charmat method, which tends to produce a wine with lower alcohol and delicate mousse. But regardless of how they are made, I can’t--off the top of my head--think of any other country that creates as many different styles of sparkling wine as Italy.
Many wine fanciers consider the sparkling wines from Franciacorta, in the Lombardy region, among the country’s most elegant. The best ones are stylish and sophisticated. They are made by the traditional method, and the grapes include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Bianco. Franciacorta wines are typically brut.
The province of Trento likewise produces spumante made by traditional method, from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Bianco. The region’s high altitude and cool northern climate contribute to the attractive crispness, balance and complexity found in the top Trento brands.
Prosecco is the name of both the grape and the type of wine from the Veneto; it is generally crisp, refreshing and relatively low in alcohol. Whether brut, slightly sweet or dessert-style, global sales have soared now that wine drinkers have discovered these appealing, and generally inexpensive, sparkling wines.
Lambrusco, which some people think of only as a sweet, sappy sipper, should not be sneered at. The best Lambrusco seccos are dry, frothy dark red wines that can charm and refresh both on their own and as an accompaniment to many rich, meat or cheese-based dishes (I recently relished one with a prosciutto and arugula pizza). They can range from softly sparkling (frizzante) to full sparkling (spumante). Native to Emilia, they are made from any number of different strains of the labrusca grape. They are best enjoyed in a red-wine glass rather than a flute.
From the Piedmont region comes Braccheto, a light bodied, dark pink frizzante, slightly sweet, delicately perfumed and reminiscent of strawberries (I like it so much I served it years ago at my own wedding). The grape is Brachetto, the DOCG Brachetto d’Aqui.
Moscato d’Asti is made from the Moscato Bianco grape, and tends to be on the sweet side, low in alcohol, delicately frothy and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s an informal wine that requires neither a flute nor a special occasion. Moscato d’Asti comes from the region of Asti located at the opposite end of the boot from the Puglian Moscato that originally set me off on this homage to Italy’s fizz.
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 The wines from Barsac and Sauternes are undervalued compared to red Bordeaux because drinking these sweet wines at the end of a meal with, or better yet, as dessert, is falling out of fashion. It’s a pity because a glass by itself or with a morsel of cheese is a perfect way to finish a meal. At a recent tasting sponsored by the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, an association of 132 top-notch producers throughout the region, Château Coutet’s 2009 stood out, not only among the sweet wines, but among all the wines, even the big name Bordeaux reds. Not surprisingly, the 2009 Château Coutet was gloriously rich with undertones of apricots and spice, but its vivacity and energy is what set it apart. Long and luxurious, its bracing acidity and verve keeps you coming back for another sip because your palate never tires. Recorked and stored in the frig, the 2009 Coutet will stay fresh and thrilling for a week, so don’t be afraid to pour yourself just a glass.
97 Michael Apstein
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Ed McCarthy
I can't afford to buy top Bordeaux now. Even if I could, I wouldn't buy any because serious red Bordeaux usually needs about 25 years of maturing before it's at its best drinking stage. And I have enough Bordeaux wines to last the rest of my life. Does this mean that younger generation of wine lovers (leaving out that top one percent in income who can afford expensive Bordeaux wines) cannot buy Bordeaux wines? Definitely not. The expensive red Bordeaux wines I referred to--let's say those over $100 a bottle--make up less than two percent of the 700 million bottles of Bordeaux produced annually. You can find tons of red Bordeaux at decent, competitive prices.
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Linda Murphy
For several years running, The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper has chosen a California 'Winemaker of the Year' and 'Winemakers to Watch,' the latter a handful of rising stars who are doing dynamic things in the vineyard and cellar to make their marks in the wine world. Fellow WRO columnist Gerald Boyd and I are former Chronicle wine editors and we made these selections in the past; Jon Bonne has the pleasure now. As I sink my teeth into 2012, I've begun my own 'Ones to Watch' list. Yet it's not open to newcomers or young mavericks, but rather to important California wineries and wine companies that changed hands in 2011.
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It's the season to throw another log on the fire and prepare something delicious and warming for dinner. On this particular occasion we didn't have all day to wait for a slow-cooked stew or braise, so we turned instead to baked stuffed squash, an equally comforting one-dish meal but one that requires less cooking time. There's something about stuffed vegetables-peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, squash-that seems to satisfy both belly and soul, and depending on the kind of meat and seasonings, they can be remarkably wine friendly as well.
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Mary Ewing-MulliganThis is a wine with a fascinating story. It's one of those back-from-the-brink stories, about a grape variety that almost certainly would have become extinct if not for the efforts of a savior. The grape variety is Malagousia, a native Greek white grape, and the savior is Vangelis Gerovassilou.
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A Very Special White from Greece
