Non-Champagne!

I love sparkling wine in all of its glory. I love Champagne, Cava, California sparklers, even Fingers Lakes Sparklers (Great Western, with its Concord grape flavor, is actually quite nice).

I've had a few new ones that are worth mentioning.

Segura Viudas "Aria" is a clean, crispy treat. I enjoyed the Segura Viudas brut, but this is even more delicious. It sort of tastes like a January evening--clear and refreshing. Tasting notes from the company: "ARIA Estate Brut is a dry, lively refreshment appropriate for any occasion. Its flavor is dominated by fresh pineapple, almonds, honey and straw, with hints of pears and fresh bread."

Mionetto Sergio: A surprisingly complex sparkler from the Veneto region of Italy. When I was doing tastings, I sold this as the "novel, while the other Proseccos I have are the Cliffs Notes." It got a lot of praise from the Champagne drinkers. Some almonds, some honey, some citrus. Delicious, refreshing...this is a great reason for drinking sparklers. Delicious as any sort of aperitif, or with shellfish/oysters.

In short--sparkling wine feels festive (hence the markup at restaurants/bars!), but I love it for its clarity, its tingle, its surprising versatility with food.