This traditional method sparkler is always on hand at my house, especially over the holidays. It’s possibly BC’s most well-known bubble and has certainly earned its street cred!
This wine is comprised form estate grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and a splash of Pinot Gris. The blend is 50/45.5/4.5 if you want to get technical. The wine is aged for a full 24 months on its lees before being disgorged (9 months longer than Champagne’s regulations for non-vintage wine). It's aged an additional 6-9 months before its release. In essence, it takes close to 3 years to make this wine from grape to glass. At $28 it is among the least expensive traditional method sparkling wines made in BC. It's also roughly half the price of the least expensive Champagnes we see in the market. Did I mention it’s also delicious?
I get granny smith apple, fresh lemon juice and light toast with brisk, mouth-watering acidity and a creamy mousse of fine bubbles. I love crisp sparkling wines like this with salty, fatty foods. A super simple but insanely delicious pairing for this wine is plain Ruffles potato chips (I may have been snacking on them as I wrote this tasting note). It’s also perfect with smoked salmon on cream cheese bagels for Christmas morning breakfast.