In November the Ken’s Wine Guide Tasting Panel tried 16 sparkling wines and Champagne. We wanted to make some recommendations for New Year’s Eve and other festive holiday celebrations. Of the 16 wines we tried, we recommended 7. Our winner was bit of a surprise. The panel decided that a little sweetness was preferred. They recommended the Non Vintage Domaine Ste. Michelle “Frizzante” $12 as their first choice. The panel appreciated the wine’s balance, creaminess, and how easy it is to consume and enjoy. The group as a whole thought this wine could be a good aperitif or dessert wine. The panel scored this wine Very Good (89.3).
The second place finisher was more traditional in style and was my favorite choice of the evening. The 2000 Gloria Ferrer “Royal Cuvée – Brut” $30 was elegant, well balanced, and was quite tasty. The panel scored this wine Very Good with a score of 88. I scored it a couple of points higher than that. Our third place finisher was our only true Champagne entry. The NV Duval Leroy — Brut $25 scored a Very Good (87.5) from the panel.
Our fourth place finisher was our favorite Rosé. The Non Vintage Gloria 
Ferrer “Brut de Noirs” $16 was a solid sparkler and liked by a majority of the panel. This wine scored a Very Good (87.5). If you have never tried a Sparkling Rosé this would be a terrific one to try. This would also be a nice option as an opening wine for your Christmas dinner. Our 5th place finisher was the 2004 Schramberg “Blanc de Blanc’s” $35. This sparkler made from all Chardonnay was liked by many on the panel and received a Very Good (87.4) score from the panel.
Other recommended Sparkling Wines:
#6 Torley NV “Charmont Rosé” from Hungary $10 (87.4) (Very Good – Sweet)
#7 Martha Clara NV “Brut” $22 from the North Fork of Long Island, NY (87.0) (Very Good)
We hope you enjoy one of these sparklers at your New Year’s Eve celebration. We look forward to reviewing more wines and sharing our recommendations with you in the New Year. Thanks for reading KensWineGuide.com.
Cheers,
Ken