Our New Year selection
Ancestral
Variously called the méthode ancestrale, ancienne, historique or Dioise in French, this method of getting the sparkle is often regarded as older than the reputed ‘invention’ by Dom Pérignon of Champagne. With only one fermentation the alcohol level is low, 7% to 8% by volume. Most of these wines are sweetish so ideal for dessert.

Clairette de Die NV, Club des Sommeliers, Méthode Dioise – 7% alc. This wine from the Rhône valley is made from the delicious, aromatic muscat grape, despite its varietal name of clairette. The taste in the mouth just lasts and lasts. Match it with a dark chocolate gateau for sheer perfection.

Traditional
Wine writer Tom Stevenson, in his book ‘World Encyclopædia of Champagne and Sparkling Wines (2003)’, uses the term ‘individually fermented in this bottle’ to describe the méthode traditionnelle. After the still wines are made and blended, yeast and sugar are added. The wine is then bottled and sealed (crown caps nowadays) and the second fermentation starts. The bottle used is the one the consumer will open and drink.
There is a vast choice as production covers all areas of France.

Champagne, Bollinger Cuvée Spéciale, non-vintage The unique Bollinger style comes from a 60% pinot noir base wine, some of which is matured in a barrique before blending, plus three years in the cellars before disgorging. Very dry, almost austere, complex floral aromas with hints of toast, flowery on the palate with oaky nuances, it is premium priced at around €40, but worth every centime.

Crémant d’Alsace AC
Back in 1902, a group of Alsace wine makers formed one of the earliest cooperatives in Eguisheim in the Haut- Rhin, naming it Wolfberger. It now numbers some 750 members. Famous for its quality still wines, Wolfberger also offers excellent traditional method sparkling wines.

Crémant d’Alsace Brut Blanc, NV, Wolfberger, 12% alc. A blend of mainly chardonnay, pinot blanc and a little riesling, the wine has an excellent ‘mousse’, tiny bubbles and a delicate flowery and yeasty bouquet, crisp and very dry on the palate with flowers, toastiness and hints of vanilla predominating and a long lasting finish.

Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé, NV, Wolfberger, 12% alc.
This 100% pinot noir sparkler from Wolfberger is only slightly dearer than its white cousin. Raspberry and strawberry fruits explode in the nostrils and mouth, the bubbles are tiny and the ‘mousse’ long-lasting. If you think ‘pink’, this is your drink!
Both of these wines are less than €10 a bottle, have good national distribution or can be bought by mail order from Wolfberger, 68420 Eguisheim or online at www.wolfberger.com