We love bubbles. Bubbles on the deck. Sparkling wine before dinner, during dinner, or after. Sparklers to celebrate. Bubbles, just because. So, when Vineyard Brands sent us four bottles of sparkling wine, we could not wait to open them. All four are NV and wallet-friendly ($15-$19). Marqués de Cáceres Cava Brut, Miguel Torres Chile Estelado Brut Pais, La Vieille Ferme Sparkling Blanc, and La Vieille Ferme Sparkling Rosé.
Bubbles: Marqués de Cáceres Cava Brut NV ($19)
Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain, created in the same way as Champagne from France. Both use the Méthode Champenoise, where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. The differences are their countries, grapes, and flavors. Marqués de Cáceres Cava Brut blends 50% Xarel-lo, 30% Macabeo, and 20% Parellada. This Cava is dry, refreshing, and crisp with fine, persistent bubbles and flavors of stone fruit, apples, and brioche. We drank it as an apéritif on the patio, but you could serve it with seafood, chicken, or spicy dishes.
Miguel Torres Chile Estelado Brut Pais Rosé NV ($19)
Miguel Torres Chile also crafted Estelado Brut Pais Rosé with the Méthode Champenoise. Pais, from the 17th century, is the oldest grape in Chile. This sparkling rosé is pale pink and dry, with fine bubbles. Estelado Brut Pais features a bit of everything in the glass: plums, stone fruit, grapefruit, lemon, a touch of orange creamsicle, berries, and hints of salinity and flint. Paul Zitarelli of Full Pull Wines says: “This remains such a delightful new world sparkling rosé. I’ve had many a Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé and Crémant d’Alsace Rosé that don’t hold a candle to this.” Overall, the Torres family has more than 150 years of winemaking in Spain, becoming the first foreign winery to arrive in Chile in 1979.
La Vieille Ferme NV Sparkling Blanc and Sparkling Rosé (both $15)
We have been fans of La Vieille Ferme for years – Vineyard Brands introduced their wines to the U.S. in 1980. And what a great way to start summer, with one of their sparklers (which were added to the lineup in 2019). First, La Vieille Ferme NV Sparkling Blanc and Sparkling Rosé are both versatile. Pour them when guests arrive at your house, or pair them in a meal with savory dishes or creamy desserts. Or, take them to your friends’ next party. That’s what we did. We shared La Vieille Ferme Sparkling Rosé, accompanied by crispy chips and onion dip, with our friends on their deck. Then, we went inside and opened the Sparkling Blanc with grilled prawns and herbs. Delicious!
La Vieille Ferme Sparkling Blanc, made from Chardonnay planted on limestone soils, brings delicate bubbles with peach flavors and minerality. Sparkling Rosé blends 40% Grenache Noir, 40% Cinsault, and 20% Pinot Noir. These bubbles offer more peach flavors with hints of raspberries, strawberries, and citrus. While I like them both, if I had to choose, it would be the Sparkling Blanc. But these are wallet-friendly sparklers, so why choose?
Summary: Bubbles
In conclusion, we recommend all four of these stellar sparkling wines from Vineyard Brands. Above all, we thank Vineyard Brands for the introduction and samples from their extensive portfolio. Bring on the bubbles!
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Cheers,
Margot and Dave