Pop. Fizz. Its sound is inescapable. That delicious prelude to bubbly good times, laughter and quite often New Year’s Eve. Champagne and sparklers hold a special place in the world of wine. It’s mostly a celebratory bottle, a marking of an occasion with friends and toasts, and the promise of good times.

To get you ready for the big night, the Swirl Girls are putting together a list of champagne and sparkling wines we’ve recently tried. Let us guide you to a sparkler that’s right for you.

TRIED AND TRUE

Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut – Washington ($9.99-$12.99)
This is the famed sparkler that beat out $150 Dom Perignon two-thirds of the time. It’s dry, light, crisp and appley. And your guests will never know just how reasonable this wine is. This one is available at Total Wine and some Publix stores.

Piper Heidsieck Rosé Brut Sauvage – Champagne, France ($49.95)
Dry tried this rosé at Crown’s Best of the Best tasting and was impressed with its burst of sweet strawberry and clean, dry finish.

Mumm Napa DVX 2001 – Napa Valley ($49.99)
We tried this vintage sparkler back in August and loved it for its sophisticated blending, tight perlage (bubbles) and bright, lively acidity. Buy this one if you’re trying to impress someone and don’t mind sharing.

Voga Sparkling Pinot Grigio – Trentino, Italy ($15-$18)
We poured this sparkling Pinot Grigio from Trentino at the Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival. This special one isn’t your mama’s sparkler. You’re treated to a sweet citrus and apple taste with a calm, satisfying finish. It had a light spritzy kick rather than overwhelming bubbles. Plus, it has a really cool bottle.

SIX BUBBLIES WE JUST TASTED

The SGs just tasted six sparkling wines we had been sent, and here are the results:

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige – Napa Valley ($15-20)

One of the first samples we tried was one of Dry’s favorites for the night. This dry sparkling wine from Napa Valley was a pale straw color in the glass with a faint nose of citrus. It was a light and soft on the palate, slightly tart but not overwhelmingly so. It had a zesty effervescence that was bright but not overpowering. Fairly simple, this sparkler would probably please those who like a lighter, drier style of champagne.

Cupcake Sparkling Wine

We tried two sparkling wines from Cupcake and neither of them were very pleasant. The first was the Rosé Brut Pinot Noir. The sparkler was a pretty light salmon color in the glass, but there wasn’t much to the nose or palate. The wine exhibited almost no aroma and on the palate tasted slightly more flavorful than a spritzy water. There was really nothing to it at all, and nothing more to say about it except that we all agreed we’d never buy it.


The second Cupcake sparkler was a Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay. It had a lemon color and aroma, but was bitter and unpleasant on the palate. Earthy suggested drinking no wine was better than drinking this wine and we all agreed. Down the drain it went!

Biltmore Estate Brut – Asheville, NC ($26)

We were intrigued to try this North Carolina sparkler named after the famed Biltmore Estate. The wine was a very pale straw color in the glass and had a pleasing floral aroma. On the palate, we got a multitude of bright, tight bubbles up front, flavors of sweet pear and green apple, followed by a smooth, soft finish. The wine was easy on the palate without much acidity. It wasn’t a very dry wine and would probably suit those who like a sweeter style.

Mumm Napa Cuvee M – Napa Valley ($15-20)

Our second Mumm of the night was a pale gold color in the glass with a nose of sweet, soft fruit. On the palate, we got layers of juicy peach, sweet apple and rich, creamy pear. The bubbles were fairly soft and the wine was without the biting acidity that may turn off those who enjoy a sweeter style of wine. It was also Earthy’s favorite of the evening.

J Cuvee 20 Brut – Russian River Valley ($22)

This Cuvee celebrates the winery’s 20th anniversary of winemaking. The sparkler had a fresh grassy-straw color in the glass and a bright, layered aroma of honeysuckle and crisp, sweet apple. On the palate, the wine exhibited up-front effervescence and flavors of lemon, honeysuckle and sweet apple, followed by a creamy midpalate and a clean, dry finish. This lovely complex wine was both Bold and Dry’s favorite of the night. It’s a great value for the price

ABOUT GLASSES, FOOD AND LEFTOVER SPARKLING WINES

What to put in your champagne glass is the first decision, but there are some other questions we want to help answer before New Year’s.

The kind of glass to use: There are two kinds of champagne glasses, the flute and the wide-mouthed, shallow ones you see in 1940s films.

The flute is the way to go, because it allows the bubbles to work together on the way through the wine. Make sure the glasses are dried off before filling. Do not chill the glasses first – it will fog them up and half of the sparkling wine appeal is the bubbly!

The best food to serve with sparking wines or champagne: The Swirl Girls have tried all types of food (hey, it’s our job!) with the sparklings we tasted recently.

We had an assortment of a rich brie cheese, a cranberry-filled sweeter cheese, crackers, french bread, sushi, apples, pizza, shrimp, and well, you get the point. A lot of food.

Usually lighter foods (pizza aside) work best, but the type of bubbly you serve should guide you in cheese selection, especially. We discovered some of the wines didn’t go well with the rich brie (the Cupcake Chardonnay sparkling), while others worked perfectly with the brie. The pizza we had because we were famished, but frankly, really good sparkling pairs well with it, too. In fact, pizza and sparkling wine sounds very decadent.

Seafood goes well with most sparklings/champagnes. Try shrimp, salmon or sushi appetizers.

So you have a half-bottle of bubbly left over: If you love bubbly, invest in a champagne cork or resealer. Those work well. Then for breakfast, add orange juice for mimosas, or drop raspberries or strawberries in the glass for a beautiful flute and yummy drink. The bubbles should keep through breakfast, but after lunch you’ll find the sparkling is flat, so toss it.

Happy New Year from the Swirl Girls!