Some Sparkling Wines Perfect for Valentine's Day

Although the Champagne region of France is where sparkling wines originated, fortunately, good bubblies can be found today throughout the world, with some regions offering surprising quality for the price. In honor of Valentine’s Day, a day we often celebrate with a sparkling wine, we asked our spouses to join us in tasting and ranking some of the sparklers available in Northwest Louisiana, and to our surprise, we enjoyed every one of them.

We started with one of California’s finest and most popular sparkling wines, Schramsberg’s Blanc de Blancs. This bubbly made with 100 percent Chardonnay grapes had an excellent nose of green apples and pastry dough. This particular wine also has an interesting history: it was served at the “Toast to Peace” between Richard Nixon and Premier Chow Enlai in Beijing in 1972. Schramsberg wines have since been served by all U.S. Presidents. It was also without question our favorite of the evening and was well worth the $30 price tag.

Next we tasted a Spanish Cava, Cristilino Brut. It is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, three grapes commonly used in sparkling wine blends. We found it very refreshing, with a hint of lemon and lime as well as a minerally quality, and with a $10 price tag, we voted this sparkler ideal for serving at a large gathering.