The world of Italian sparkling wine is diverse in variety and price. Having many types to chose from can be overwhelming… and price is a prime factor too. Here is an overview of what Italy has to offer as part of the Italian Food, Wine, Travel group’s December focus. Many options at great prices!

A crowd pleaser for aperitif sipping, Coppi Winery’s Galà is a delight from Puglia

Galà is 100% Mavasia Bianca, made via the Charmat Method (2nd fermentation in the tank rather than in the bottle as in the traditional méthode champenoise), and falls under the Puglia IGP in southern Italy.

Delicate berry and peach aromas expand to tropical fruits with a wisteria-like floral component. It’s round, full, and pleasantly fresh with crushed stones and length, perhaps revealing the stony soils of the Murgia plateau where the grapes grow. A hint of sweetness makes it appealing to start an evening with spicy nibbles- Mark and I like it with wasabi crackers or crunchy-spiced chickpeas. This is a frizzante style wine meaning it has slightly less effervescence than Prosecco or Champagne. (about $10)

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Northern Italy is where mountain sparklers are made in Trentino, often referred to as Trentino/AltoAdige. And this is where you find the Trento DOC where “metodo classico” sparkling wine is made.

Traditional Champagne Method (Metodo Classico)- Wine undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle to produce bubbles. This method tends to be more labor- and resource-intensive due to greater storage and manpower needs.

Vitivinicola in Valdicembra Opera Nature sparkler: 100% chardonnay

Vitivinicola in Valdicembra is located in the Cembra Valley having steeply terraced vineyards and alpine-like temperatures. Opera Nature is a brut nature style meaning zero dosage (no sugar added).

Yellow apple, peach, and Magnolia aromas; lightly toasted brioche and hazelnuts on the palate from 36-months of lees aging; medium acidity, body, and length. Yes please, especially with shellfish or sushi starters! (about $18)

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The Veneto region (think Verona) is home to the Garganega (pronounced gahr-gah-neh-gah) white grape. Mark and I visited Cantina Tessari and tasted through their wines. Of particular interest was their 100% Garganega Spumante Brut bottled under the Veneto IGP. It’s made in the Charmat Method.

Here delicate almond and peach blossom aromas give way to green apple and nutty notes. Medium acidity and body, it finishes lush and clean. (between $15 and $20)

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Perusini Ribolla Gialla NV Brut – IGT Della Venezia

Located in the hills of Gramogliano in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northern Italy, the Perusini family is about preserving traditional grape varieties. Ribolla Gialla is one of them and from it they produce this sparkling wine. Primarily Ribolla Gialla with a little Chardonnay it’s produced in the Charmat Method.

Green and yellow apple notes wrapped in lightly toasted bread greet you. Fine perlage (the Italian way to refer to effervescence or bubbles), clean and crisp on the palate with loquat and green apple. It flows into a pleasantly delicate finish. (about $15)

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Cortefusia Saten Brut – Franciacorta DOCG

Cortefusia Franciacorta DOCG Satèn Brut

Franciacorta lies in northern Italy’s Lombardy region and is known for metodo classico sparkling wine. Production here is as strict if not stricter than in Champagne. Unfortunately only about 10% is exported but it is beyond worth the search.

90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Blanc, a beautifully elegant wine with soft, fine perlage. Whiffs of vanilla crème and pear, the wine shows a sense of poise and a bright bit of lemony-apple set against faint toast. Mark and I tasted this at Vinitaly and went back for a second taste!

Nudging Not Needed To Drink These Wines!

Although we drink a lot of Italian Sparkling wine, I had some incentive from the Italian Food, Wine and Travel group this month when our host, Martin at ENOFLYZ Wine Blog chose Italian Sparkling wines. Nudging not needed to drink these wines!

The first Saturday of each month several wine writers from around the world participate in #ItalianFWT — Italian Food Wine Travel. We meet today (December 1st) on Twitter for a chat:     8am PT, 11am ET and 5pm in Italy   Join us using the #ItalianFWT hashtag. If you miss the chat you can follow-up by searching Twitter for this hashtag.

Italian Sparkling Wine Discoveries from the Italian Food, Wine, Travel Group of Wine and Food Writers

• Jeff from foodwineclick want us to add some “Sparkle Your Dessert with Moscato d’Asti #ItalianFWT
• Jen of Vino Travels~An Italian Wine Blog will be sharing  Spaghetti and Clams with a Flight of Adami Prosecco #ItalianFWT
• Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla will be dishing up Italian Bubbles + Lasagna Bianca #ItalianFWT.
• Wendy of A Day In the Life on a Farm will be Celebrating Leftovers #ItalianFWT
• Kat of Bacchus Travel and Tours show us how Italian Sparklers to Light Up Your Holidays #ItalianFWT
• Lauren of the The Swirling Dervish gives us A Trio of Italian Sparkling Wines for Your Holiday Table #ItalianFWT
• Gwendolyn of the Wine Predator serves up Bellavista! Shrimp Pasta with Italian Sparkling Wine From Franciacorta #ItalianFWT
• Susannah at Avvinare extolls the virtures of Lambrusco in Lambrusco – Perfect for the Holidays #ItalianFWT
• Katarina from Grapevine Adventures offers A Superior Sparkling Christmas With Bele Casel #ItalianFWT
• Nicole at Somm’s Table shares Classically Contratto: Beautiful Wines from Italy’s Oldest Sparkling Wine House

Here at Savor the Harvest I suggest Italian Sparkling Wines to Try #ItalianFWT

Links to Producers:

• Coppi Winery
• Opera Nature
• Cantina Tessari
• Perusini
• Cortefusia