• Champagne, cava or prosecco? Choosing the right bubbly

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    Whether you choose cava, prosecco or traditional Champagne, you can't go wrong if you pair New Year's bubbly with the right nosh.

    By Jason Stahl, TODAY contributor

    New Year’s Eve is finally here and with trendy clubs and bars overcharging for a single glass of sparkling wine and frozen and flavorless hors d’oeuvres to ring in the New Year, there’s no shame in partying at home. Pop the cork on your favorite bubbly and make your own tasty bites.

    While Champagne, France is best known for its production of the world’s most famous fermented libation, Italy and Spain offer delicious (and less expensive) alternatives with their respective prosecco and cava.  

    But what’s the difference between these three sparkling wines?

    The major difference is in the process of fermentation (the “bubble making process”). Champagne goes through a second fermentation in a sealed bottle. For prosecco and cava, the second fermentation is done in a large vat, also known as the Charmat method. The three wines are also made from different grape varietals: Champagne from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes; cava from macabeo, parellada and xarel-lo grapes and prosecco from glera grapes.

    Each wine has different amounts of fizz, either frizzante or spumante. The easiest way to determine how much fizz your bubbly will have is to simply compare the corks. If the cork has a string attached to it, you’ll have light fizz (frizzante) and if you notice a wire – traditional for Champagne – then you’ll have heavy fizz (spumante).

    And in general as far as taste, Champagne is rich and complex, while cava and prosecco are lighter and slightly fruitier.  

    Now that the science is out of the way, this New Year’s enjoy a pairing of a Champagne, prosecco and cava with a simple dish that is sure to add sizzle to your sparkle.

    It is said that “Champagne goes with everything.” Perhaps that is because notes of citrus, apple and pear balanced with crisp acidity and a soft and creamy mouth feel are a perfect pairing for cheeses, delicate fish and foul alike. One of our favorite festive pairings with Champagne is East Coast Beausoleil oysters. These petite, black-and-white-shelled bivalves from New Brunswick are briny, delicate and salty, complementing the rich flavor of white currant in Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve ($50). Comprised of all three Champagne grapes, this bottle is worth the price as it is from one of France’s oldest Champagne-making houses.

    Italy does so many things right when it comes to food and drink, and their prosecco and cured meats are no exception. While figgy pudding may no longer be on holiday menus, fresh figs and prosciutto make an easy and delicious appetizer to execute and serve at New Year’s Eve parties. Choose the subtly sweet Prosciutto di San Daniele that hails from Italy’s northern region of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, and pair it with Nino Franco Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Rustico ($15). This classic, off-dry sparkler has notes of tropical fruit and a bone-dry finish.

    Recipe: Make a Spanish cava cocktail 

    Spanish Cava is growing steadily in popularity. Llopart "Leopardi" Cava Brut Rosè Reserva 2008 ($15) from the Catalonia region is made from the grapes of Mouvedre and Garnacha. This cava is a great match with a cheese course. This pink sparkling wine offers a wonderful bouquet of cranberry and wild red fruits underscored with lovely minerality. Choose a trio of cheeses from each of these countries – garrotxa (a semi-firm goat milk cheese from Spain), a hearty hunk of aged parmesan (hard cow milk cheese from Italy) with a drizzle of ten-year balsamic vinegar and a creamy brie (cow milk cheese from France).

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  • Toast the New Year with top sparklers for $20 or less

    Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut hails from California but is made in the traditional Champagne style.

    By Kara Reinhardt, Cheapism.com

    The shouted countdown, the popping corks, the clinking glasses, the strains of “Auld Lang Syne.” In the symphony of a New Year’s celebration, Champagne has long played a crucial part. Many cheaper sparkling wines hit similar notes, however. A California sparkling white, Spanish cava, or Italian prosecco may not come from France’s storied Champagne region, but it can make for an equally festive and much more affordable toast.

    Below are Cheapism’s top sparkling wines for $20 or less.

    • Roederer Estate Brut (starting at $20) comes from a California producer owned by the famed Louis Roederer, maker of Cristal. Reviewers call this bubbly nectar crisp, full-bodied, and surprisingly complex -- an excellent value. (Where to buy)
    • Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut (starting at $13) has earned high marks from critics for its flavors, which the winemaker’s tasting notes identify as apple, citrus, and toasted almond. This California sparkler is made according to the méthode Champenoise used in France. (Where to buy)
    • Freixenet Cordon Negro Extra Dry (starting at $9) is a cava from Spain that incorporates different grapes and tastes sweeter than the other two sparkling wines on this list. At the same time, experts say, it’s fresh rather than cloying, with a pleasing finish. The label on the distinctive black bottle reads metodo tradicional, which indicates that the winemaker uses the traditional French method. (Where to buy)

    Champagne and other sparkling wines go through two stages of fermentation. According to French tradition, the second stage, wherein the wines develop their trademark fizz, must take place in the bottle. Other inexpensive sparklers ferment in large tanks -- a cheaper, faster method that actually better suits prosecco. Some of the very cheapest sparkling wines are artificially carbonated, like soft drinks.

    Producers add sugar to nearly all sparkling wines just before the final corking. Most often it amounts to no more than 12 grams per liter, which classifies the wine as brut. Ironically, brut wines are actually drier (or less sweet) than those identified as extra dry. That descriptor applies to wines with 12 to 17 grams of sugar per liter. Those make good selections for revelers who want something a little sweeter than usual. Sparkling wines labeled sec (the French word for dry), demi-sec, or doux are even sweeter and less common.

    The abbreviation NV, which accompanies many sparkling wines, stands for non-vintage. Producers often make still wine using grapes from a single harvest and identify the wine according to that year -- a 2009 Bordeaux, for example. Winemakers produce vintage Champagne only in exceptionally good years and charge a premium for it. Non-vintage sparkling wine has the advantages of being less expensive, more widely available, and consistent from year to year, with the top producers aiming to cultivate a signature taste and style.

    To get the most out of a sparkling wine, the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, the industry trade organization, recommends chilling the bottle on its side for at least three or four hours before serving.

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