The Best Sparkling Wines To Pop The Cork On This Summer, From Champagne To Fun Local Fizz

Viva wine editor Jo Burzynska rounds up 24 gorgeous bottles of bubbly to celebrate the festive season, highlighting the New Zealand wineries making outstanding fizz, and some French classics.

A few years back an ancient bottle of Marque Vue was put up for auction. The winning bidder managed to bag it for a little more than three dollars. There’s obviously not much appetite for New Zealand’s period fizz, and that’s no bad thing. Today the country is both making and drinking far better bubbles, with this year’s picks for your Christmas entertaining possibly the most exciting range to date.

Worldwide, bubbly wine is currently bucking the flat overall trend in wine consumption and is expected to keep rising in the years to come.

Here in New Zealand, we’ve long had a well-priced supply of domestic fizz that’s allowed sparkling wine to be an everyday indulgence. However, recent years have seen us splash out on considerably more Champagne. And more sparkle has been added to our homegrown fizz through a proliferation of new players making examples from high-end methode traditionnelle styles, to the petillant naturels (aka pet-nats) that don’t require specialist equipment.

There’s much to celebrate in sparkling wine and plenty of excellent examples to celebrate with over the festive season and beyond.

Local Traditional

It’s a fantastic time to be drinking New Zealand’s quality sparkling wine. Our best local labels can now rival and even exceed the quality of Champagne. This year has also seen the launch of a number of brand-new examples, as well as the first wine from an entirely sparkling-focused winery.

All the wines selected in this section are made using the traditional method (methode traditionnelle) as employed in Champagne, and using combinations of the classic trio of champagne grapes: chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier.

It’s an elaborate, time-consuming and expensive process, where the fermentation occurs in the same bottle, and the wine can remain in contact with its complexity-adding yeast lees for many years. But the result is more complex wines, with the smallest and most persistent bubbles (mousse).

Alan McCorkindale Blanc de Blancs Waipara Valley Methode Traditionnelle 2009, $99

This stunning aged local Blanc de Blancs (100 per cent chardonnay) is proof that New Zealand can match, or indeed on occasion, surpass Champagne in making some of the world’s top sparkling wines. This fresh, chalky textured 14-year-old layers rich, mature characters of hazelnut, honey and notes of rye bread around a vibrant core of limey acidity. It’s the impressive fruits of Alan McCorkindale’s dedication to making world-class methode traditionelle wine, which started with searching New Zealand for the perfect spot for planting his sparkling vineyard, and sourcing specialist vine material, including that from Champagne.

Where to find it: Alan McCorkindale.

Mumm Blanc de Noirs Central Otago Methode Traditionelle NV, $60

One of the most exciting sparkling launches of 2023 is this latest wine from a collaboration between the Champagne house Mumm and Pernod Ricard NZ. After the impressive inaugural releases by the partnership out of Marlborough, they’ve started making pinot noir-based bubbly in Central Otago. This is a weightier but elegant style, with notes of white fruits, mandarin and cranberry, hints of savoury herb and brioche, and a fresh line of grapefruit acidity.

Where to find it: Liquorland, Glengarry, Vine Online, Black Market.

Vilaura Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Hawke’s Bay Methode Traditionnelle 2019, $65

Where to find it: Vilaura.

No 1 Family Estate Reine Cuvee Reserve Marlborough Methode Traditionnelle NV, $63

A new wine from 12th-generation winemaker Daniel Le Brun is something to celebrate in itself, with this paying tribute to his mother, Reine Vautrelle Le Brun. Made in an ultra-dry “Extra Brut” style, this is a beautifully harmonious blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier. Extended ageing on its lees has imparted a toasty richness, balanced by fresh notes of white fruits, lifted citrus and mineral, wrapped in a creamy mousse.

Where to find it: Glengarry.

Quartz Reef Blanc de Blancs Central Otago Methode Traditionelle 2017, $85

Quartz Reef continues to excel in its exquisite sparkling wines, with this vintage of its complex classic Blanc de Blancs flagship. A lemony-fresh and linear chardonnay, with a creamy mousse, in which delicate white fruits, and chalky and oystershell nuances, are infused with a subtle, toasty, incense-like character.

Where to find it: Farro, Glengarry, Fine Wine Delivery, Quartz Reef.

Mora Central Otago Brut NV, $45

Fans of the consistently fine sparkling wines of Akarua will be pleased to hear that after the sale of the Akarua brand, these live on under the new label Mora launched late last year. Made from the same vineyards by the same team, the Brut NV is a beautifully balanced wine. Its melon and apple fruit with a hint of herb are joined by a touch of toastiness and a savoury undercurrent, supported by a bright line of crisp citrus and flinty mineral.

Where to find it: Mora.

Kumeu River Kumeu Cremant NV, $50

In recent years, Master of Wine (and chardonnay) Michael Brajkovich has shown that his skills with variety extend to making excellent sparkling wines. This chardonnay-dominant blend, bottled in 2019, and disgorged in 2023, is a deliciously dry style with notes of nougat, crisp apple and minerally citrus, finishing on a lingering nutty note.

Where to find it: Blackmarket, Fine Wine Delivery, Fine O Wine, Smith & Caughey, Hamilton Beer & Wine, Kumeu River.

LV by Louis Vavasour Marlborough Methode Traditionnelle NV, $59

For those who like their bubbles big and bold, the LV delivers in style. Layering opulent notes of honey, hazelnuts, sweet pastry and a yeasty savouriness, it’s nevertheless kept nicely fresh by its bright line of minerally lemon.

Where to find it: LV Wine, Mount Wine Barrel , Advintage, Hamilton Wine Company, St Heliers Cellar.

Hunter’s Miru Miru Marlborough Rosé NV, $35

A seriously pretty pinot noir-dominant sparkling rosé, which melds notes of apple pastry with hints of strawberry and raspberry fruit, crisp citrus and a subtle savoury undercurrent. Hunter’s has been making superb sparkling wine for decades under its Miru Miru label (which means bubbles in te reo Māori), which also offers great value for money. This is a limited release, so rosé-lovers should secure supplies swiftly.

Where to find it: Fine Wine Delivery, The Good Wine Company, Hamilton Beer and Wine, First Glass Wine and Spirits, Liquorland.

Champagne

Champagne has been booming, as wine drinkers around the world started popping corks at home over the pandemic, and in the process getting a taste for fine bubbles beyond celebration. While this resulted in a Champagne shortage, things are back in balance now, so there’s plenty to go around this season. Grower Champagnes are going from strength to strength, with more now available here in New Zealand, and strongly represented in this year’s festive selection. These are Champagnes whose grapes are both grown and made into wine by the vineyard owner, which add interest through showcasing individual sites and styles, and regularly offer great value for money.

Champagne Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2015, $290

If you’re pulling out all the stops this season, then Veuve Cliquot’s recently released top prestige cuvee is a stellar choice. Named after the great lady of Champagne, Madame Cliquot, this pinot noir-dominant blend from a warmer vintage is all about generosity reined in by freshness. Deep and complex, its fleshy apple, pear and mandarin fruit is infused with fragrant notes of fennel and a hint of smoke, finishing with a flourish of citrus and mineral. For this vintage, the design was overseen by Italian ceramist Paola Paronetto, who selected six cool colours for the gift boxes from her personal palette of shades.

Where to find it: Glengarry Wines, Webb’s, Smith & Caughey, Liquorland (Remuera, Forest Hill, Mt Eden), NZ Liquor Library.

Champagne Fallet Dart Grande Selection Brut NV, $67

A great value grower Champagne from the 17th generation of grape growers. Pinot noir dominant, it has finesse and depth, with a lovely richness from the extended period it has spent on its lees (60 months minimum). Flavours reminiscent of tarte tatin, rye bread and hazelnut, are lifted by its crisp lemony freshness.

Where to find it: Caro’s.

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé NV, $161

This classic rosé Champagne remains in top form. A salmon-pink blend of 40 per cent chardonnay, 30 per cent pinot noir, and 30 per cent pinot meunier it’s textural and refined, with its pure palate of blood orange, strawberry, apple and taut citrus fruit, white florals, and a subtle savoury toasty richness. It’s worth noting that rosé Champagnes are particularly versatile at the table, with the Billecart-Salmon pairing well with salads, vegetable dishes, seafood and even lighter game.

Where to find it: Fine Wine Delivery, Vine Online, Caro’s, Waiheke World of Wine, First Glass.

Champagne Assailly Grand Cru 2012, $108

This vintage wine is made from vines more than 60 years old in the grand cru vineyards of this grower Champagne in Avize. It’s richly flavoured with notes of gingerbread, walnut and a smoky, flinty character while retaining a freshness through its bright, chalky grapefruit acidity. Only very small quantities are made.

Where to find it: Peter Maude Fine Wines.

Champagne Moutard Grande Cuvee Brut NV, $60

While one of the lowest-priced Champagnes on the local market, this has some surprising complexity. Made from 100 per cent pinot noir by a small family-owned Champagne house, Moutard’s Grande Cuvee combines fresh notes of zesty grapefruit and white florals, with hints of toasted spiced fruit loaf and an appealing flinty character.

Where to find it: Glengarry.

Champagne Thienot x Penfolds Champagne Brut Rosé NV, $119

Penfolds might be best known for its big Australian reds, such as its flagship, Grange, but it’s now also making premium wines in other countries. This includes in Champagne, with this rosé the fourth wine released in collaboration with Champagne house Thiénot, and the first available in New Zealand. Dry and crisp with hints of mineral salts to start, it opens up to reveal perfumed nuances of rosewater and notes of strawberry shortcake.

Where to find it: Liquorland, New World, Pak’nSave, Glengarry, Fine Wine Delivery.

Champagne Jacquart Mosaique Brut NV, $75

Stylish chardonnay-dominant Champagne with graceful apple and pear fruit, and hints of lemon meringue and almond biscuit. It’s fine and balanced with a long biscuitty finish. Imported by The Real Housewives of Auckland star Anne Batley Burton, aka The Champagne Lady.

Where to find it: Champagne Lady.

Champagne Achille Princier Grand Reserve Brut NV, $65

Made from family vineyards, this is another interesting and affordable grower Champagne. There’s ripe cider apple in this brut, along with a touch of honeycomb, soupcon of smoke, fresh lemony tang, plus an appealing, slightly funky edge.

Where to find it: Wine Direct and selected New World and Pak’nSave stores.

Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut NV, $70

A classic Champagne with a majority of red varieties in a blend crafted from more than 100 of Champagne’s crus. It’s a harmonious and pretty style that’s creamy textured with notes of juicy apple, citrus and white peach, and an attractive hint of wafer biscuit.

Where to find it: Countdown, Pak’nSave, New World, Glengarry, Liquorland, Super Liquor.

Fun Fizz

Festive times call for a supply of light-hearted wines. Recommended here are great easy-drinking drops made largely using methods that are all about retaining freshness and fruity drinkability. They include prosecco, both Italian and local, which traditionally has its second fizz-inducing fermentation in a large pressurised steel tank.

There’s also the pick of the current pet-nats, which are currently exploding both in number and popularity. These “naturally sparkling” wines are bottled while still fermenting, with the trapped CO2 this produces creating the style’s effervescence. This selection also includes grapes not traditionally used in sparkling wines, from our ever-popular sauvignon blanc to the red variety, malbec.

Bryterlater Swell North Canterbury Petillant Naturel 2023, $45

Zesty lime, green plums, apple, elderflower and saline mineral abound in this succulent pet-nat. A fridge staple over the summer months, it’s a sparkling sauvignon blanc, but nothing like the carbonated sauvignon that the country was awash with a decade ago. It’s far more elegant and textural having been barrel fermented, and spent time on its lees. Like traditional method wines, it’s also been riddled and disgorged to remove any remaining sediment, so unlike many pet-nats, it’s also crystal-clear.

Where to find it: By the Bottle, Caro’s.

TW Gisborne Prosecco NV, $29

Kiwi prosecco, you read that right. Over in Gisborne, TW has planted the glera (or prosecco) grape behind the Italian bubbly and has just released its first example. Light, fruity and highly quaffable, with its vibrant pear and white peach fruit, jasmine florals and twist of grapefuit zest, it’s a successful inaugural expression.

Where to find it: Advintage; Hamilton Beer & Wine; The Keg Liquor Merchant, Hamilton; Mount Wine Barrel, Mount Maunganui; Liquorlands Forest Hill & Ponsonby; TW Wines.

Dibon Cava Brut Seleccion, Spain NV, $25

Affordable bottles, such as this excellent value cava, can mean there’s always something sparkling in the fridge over the festive season. From a Spanish family-owned bodega, it’s made using the traditional method, but with the classic cava grapes of macabeo, xarel-lo and parellada. The result is a wine that’s baked apple fruit-laced with fresh lemony notes, a touch of complex toastiness and a hint of cinnamon spice.

Where to find it: Farro, Wine Central, Fine Wine Delivery, Black Market, Moore Wilson’s.

Rock Ferry Marlborough Pinot Blanc Brut 2021, $35

Organic Marlborough winery Rock Ferry has been making a great still pinot blanc, but as of the 2020 vintage has started making a sparkling version. With a nod to Crement d’Alsace, and similarly made using the traditional method, its latest release is a fruit-forward style with zingy notes of lemon, nectarine and nashi pear and a touch of toasted almond. A fresh and versatile wine for many occasions.

Where to find it: Great Little Vineyards, Everyday Wine, By The Bottle, Rock Ferry.

Borga Prosecco Brut Italy 2022, $28

This prosecco hails from the Treviso region of Italy and is made by a family who’ve grown grapes there since 1940. Light, clean and fresh, it’s a model expression of the style, with its crunchy palate of pear and lemon, threaded with white florals and a hint of almond.

Where to find it: Caro’s.

Decibel Petillant Naturel Bridge Pa Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2023, $35

Fluorescent pink, packed with bright strawberry and raspberry fruit and redolent of fragrant violet florals, Decibel’s pet-nat made from malbec, is light, fresh and lots of fun. Perfect for picnics and relaxed al fresco entertaining.

Where to find it: Glengarry, Decibel Wines.

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