Like wine isn’t subjective enough, but let’s face it, Cava’s better than Prosecco, right? That’s a silly statement, I know. Am I not drinking the right Prosecco? I even hear people say Prosecco is better than Champagne. Now that’s a statement!

This isn’t about deciphering who’s right and who’s wrong. Wine is like that. There are people who just love the fruity sweetness of a Moscato d’Asti, the zippy acidity of their favourite sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, or the biscuity savouriness of the finest Champagne.

When it comes to the big three, in order, I prefer Champagne, Cava and lastly Prosecco. In terms of value for money, Cava is number one. This is not to say Prosecco comes last because I hate it. I love the stuff, I just think in general Cava offers a little more complexity and interest.

What makes them different

Prosecco

Prosecco is the name of the grape variety, grown in Italy’s northern Friuli territory. The wine is made fizzy by the tank method, which involves a second fermentation in giant tanks rather than in bottle. It is then settled and the clear wine pumped off the lees before being bottled under pressure. The price can remain price competitive because it is less labour intensive and because of the time saved during production.

Cava

Cava is the neither the name of a grape variety or a region. It is simply the type of wine. The majority of the grapes are grown in Penedès, not far from Barcelona. The traditional varieties are Macabeo (aka Viura), Parellada and Xarel-lo, but more recently Chardonnay, and even Pinot Noir, has found its way into blends, making for a more accessible style worldwide.

Cava is made using the traditional method (méthode traditionnelle), where second fermentation takes place inside the bottle the wine will be sold in. The base wine is bottled with a measured amount of sugar and yeast. The second fermentation will give just the right amount of fizz whilst raising the alcohol level an extra 1-1.5%. It also leaves a sediment of dead yeast cells. This is the key to those complex, savoury flavours. They are removed before release to market by a method known as disgorgement.

As part of our Spanish sale, we have 20% off Cava from our multi-award winning Cava house, Mont Marçal, until the end of April. Our 90 Parker Point Extremarium will be back in stock next week. Pop us a mail if you would like to join the list of reminders.

I love it when we find something a bit mad or ‘out there’. Tasmania’s a cool place. I’ve never been there, but I’ve watched the nature documentaries and read the travel guides. As well as that, I’m well versed on the wine books and I know this is one part of Australia (yes, I also know it’s an island) you absolutely can’t overlook for its wine. As well as all those other lovely things that make it… lovely.

Pirie Non Vintage (just in) is the latest development of a project that began when the inaugural 1995 Vintage Pirie was launched to international acclaim: Matthew Jukes declared it as the greatest sparkling wine ever produced outside of champagne.

“Pale colour; focused and fresh lemon fruit and spring blossom bouquet; generous and creamy mouthfeel, with linear acidity and well-handled dosage; very good focus.” 94/100

James Halliday
2010 Australian Wine Companion

Pirie Tasmania is the latest evolution of one man’s belief that Tasmania can be one of the truly great wine regions of the world. As Australia’s first PhD in viticulture, founder of Pipers Brook Vineyard (1973-2002) and more recently ‘Pirie Estate’ and ‘South’ labels, and recipient of the Australian Medal for his services to Tasmanian wine and tourism (2001), Andrew Pirie’s contribution to the industry is indisputable, as now is Tasmania’s position as a jewel in the crown of Australian wine.

“I remain passionate about the cool climate wine potential of Tasmania. It is exciting to be involved in an industry which benefits lifestyle, from its modern inception to consolidation.”

Andrew Pirie

The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for this sparkling Pirie is sourced from Upper Tamar Valley. Situated in the north of Tasmania, the region is approximately the same length as the Cote d’Or in Burgundy (90km) and benefits from a similar cool, humid climate.

Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer are all grown here, producing fresh, extremely elegant whites. But for red wines, Pinot Noir is king. From the bright cherry and raspberry scented wines from Kayena in the Lower Tamar, to the heady truffle and black cherry aromas from the Upper Tamar vineyards at Relbia and White Hills, the variety of styles from this small region prove that the French do not have a monopoly on terroir.

Andrew Pirie’s Tasmanian bubbly will have 20% off, alongside all of our other sparkling wines, until the New Year.

In a recent blind tasting of 64 Champagnes, renowned wine critic Jancis Robinson scored the Lallier Grand Cru Champagne 17.5 out of 20. Only 3 of the 64, which included Lallier, received this exceptional score, the other two being vintage Champagnes.

Lallier shrugged off competition from all the big boys – Bollinger, Moët & Chandon, and Roederer to name just a few.

The full tasting note in Purple Pages:
Lallier Grand Reserve Grand Cru NV “Ay. Quite a deep straw. Smells a bit wild-flower-like, sort of biodynamic! Fleury? Tight knit with lots going on. Interesting even if there is a bit of bruised apple on the finish. Quite long and certainly interesting. A bit chewy, but very attractive” (17.5/20, drink 2010-2014)

The background: Lallier is a small family concern crafting Pinot Noir dominated blends from Grand Cru sites around Ay (also home to Bollinger, but Lalliers cellars are older). Much of their fruit is sourced from ‘Grand Cru’ vineyards – the crème de la crème of vineyard sites, classified as 100 out of 100. Like Bollinger, Lallier also use a high proportion of Pinot Noir in their blend (the Rosé is 100% Pinot Noir), so with Champagne Lallier you get a Pinot Noir dominated blend from Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites – a rarity.

There is incredible investment that gone into this wine. Matured in bottle on its lees in chalk cellars for four years, the result is a truly brilliant Champagne with a pale lemon colour, good steady fizz, and that powerful typical ‘bready’ Champagne nose. On the palate it is a big complex wine, quite vinous with lots of flavour in the mouth followed by a long, dry finish. A celebration in itself.

Additional awards and accolades:

International Wine Challenge 2008, Bronze Medal

Sommelier Wine Awards 2009, Short List

Our range of sparkling wine.

Our first tasting video of a sparkling wine! ‘Quite characterful with apple juice concentrate, grapes and sherbet on the nose and palate.’… ‘Fresh, clean and fragrant, well balanced.’ – Wine International, Cava & Prosecco Tasting, August 2005.

To view product page and for more details, click on Domenico de Bertiol Prosecco Spagorosso.

You may not have been able to miss the much publicised difficultly the Champagne houses have found themselves in since the recession clicked into gear. Like every market with a cheaper alternative, many people will downgrade.

In the case of sparkling wine, moving from Champagne to less expensive sparkling wine, such as the Spanish Cava or Italian Prosecco, would be akin to buying a Skoda instead of a VW, a laptop instead of a Mac or a box of supermarket own brand Weetabix instead of the real thing (Yes, I firmly believe that nothing beats the real thing when it comes to breakfast cereal.)

In essence, that’s what many consumers have been doing when it comes to drinking wine. They’ve taken a little bit of a hit, and erring on the side of caution, they’re happy to save a few quid and not drink quite as well as they perhaps once did.

Nick Squires (Telegraph.co.uk) reported on the situation in the UK at the end of last year. Over Christmas and in the run up to the New Year, Prosecco sales at Sainsburys were up 60-70%. Not only this, but shipments of Champagne to Britain fell by 32% in the first nine months of the year. According to the Italian Food and Wine Institute, Italy actually exported more Spumante and Prosecco than it consumed.

So it would seem producers of Cava and Prosecco are not having it as bad as their French rivals, and they’ll be the first to argue they are offering better value. And there are some astonishing examples of sparkling wine out there from Spain, Italy and beyond, but most wine drinkers will contest that if you want the best sparkling wine in the world, you go to Champagne.

I think, as with the rest of the industry, you get what you pay for. The proof is in the pudding so to speak.

New research led by Dr Jeremy Spencer of Reading University suggests that a couple of glasses of Champagne a day are good for your heart and blood circulation. Further research is expected to see similar positive results for the less expensive alternatives, such as Cava and Prosecco.

The team found positive effects on the walls of blood vessels, helping to reduce the chance of stroke and heart disease. “Our data suggests that a daily moderate consumption of champagne wine may improve vascular performance via the delivery of phenolic constituents,” the researchers say in their paper.

Chemicals known as Polyphenols, which are also present in red wine, slow down the removal of nitrite oxide from the blood. With higher levels of nitrite oxide, vessels dilate, thus helping to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart problems and strokes.

Although Polyphenols are not found in white wine, Champagne consists of two black grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Coca beans are also found to have high levels of Polyphenols.

See nzherald.co.nz for original article.

Established in 1859 through the merger of two Champagne growers, Duval-Leroy is based in its village of origin, Vertus, one of the top Premier Cru rated areas in Champagne. Handed down from father to son, it has managed to remain independent to this day and is one of few remaining family-owned Champagne houses.

It was in 1855 that Champagne merchant Armand Edouard Leroy discovered the first unofficial ranking of Champagne wines in La Cuisine et le Medecin. He realised then that his trade was evolving. What he needed was a concept that would attract and secure the loyalty of his customers over time.

This new ranking gave him the opportunity to put into practice an idea that had been growing in his mind for years – to present his Champagne wines in a form that would be consistently identifiable, year after year.

But there remained one obstacle to the Leroy family’s ambitions: where to find a winemaker sufficiently meticulous and far-sighted to meet the demands of his concept. Candidates at that time were few and far between. After months of searching, he could only find one House equal to the task – and the name was Duval.

Over the next four years, the two families came to know each other and agree their common objectives. Their destinies were finally united with the 1859 harvest – a year that brought forth so memorably the rewards of passionate vineyard husbandry linked to precise winemaking, and the year that the world was introduced to the unforgettable taste and style that is the unique signature of Duval-Leroy.

This high level of care is evident in the vineyard and the winery. The team take particular care when dividing the juice into fractions and racking the musts off their heavy lees. Alcoholic fermentation is conducted at low, stable temperatures so as to optimise the aromatic complexity. All cuvees undergo malolactic fermentation, developing a characteristic smoothness and the first inklings of those brioche-like aromas.

Every year 250 cuvees are tasted and only 15 will make it into bottle – each one based on the three approved Champagne varietals, selected by roughly 40 different crus.

Today, the House’s reputation has spread to more than 50 different countries, greatly furthered by the 150 Michelin-rated restaurants that share the same passion for uncompromising quality.

Click here to view Duval-Leroy, with 25% off until January while stocks last.

Buying wine around the holidays is a lot of pressure – loads of us lorry in the drink without a clue what we’re doing, and generally end up picking piles of plonk off the shelf because the label looks quite alright.

Continuing our Quick Guide to Christmas Wines, here’s the straight skinny on three completely classy sparkling wines you won’t be embarrassed to serve or to give around the holidays.

With 25% off all sparkling and Champagne until the New Year, you’d be mad to go anywhere else for your bubbly this Christmas!

Bargain Sparkling Wine: Domenico de Bertiol Prosecco (€12.50 €9.37 per bottle)

Why You’ll Like It: You’ll like it for its gorgeous bottle and enticing price tag, but even better is what’s inside. Made from the Italian grape, Prosecco, this sparkler is dry, fruity and aromatic, and incredibly easy drinking. It’s the perfect aperitif to kick-off a party or even the big day itself.

Beautiful Sparkling Wine: Aureus Cremant de Loire (€18.00 €13.50 per bottle on sale)

Why You’ll Like It: Loire Valley is where to go if you want that ‘Champagne’ quality outside of the Champagne region, and if you want real quality for a celebratory toast this Christmas, the Aureus will push all the right buttons. Voted Best in Class and awarded a silver medal at the International Wine & Spirits Challenge 2009.

Stunning Sparkling Wine: Lallier Premier Cru Rosé Champagne (€37.00 €27.75 per bottle on sale)

Why You’ll Like It: From the world’s most renowned region for sparkling wine, this Rosé Champagne is a super sexy alternative to white bubbly. The Rosé is just a touch more fruity (strawberries and cream, mmm!) than it’s white counterpart so makes the perfect sparkler where you’ve lots of different tastes to cater for. For luxurious drinking this Christmas, look no further.

To make buying holiday wine without a clue easier, we’ve put together a case of Christmas Crackers from our Quick Guide wines to take you from Christmas through New Year’s: Five reds, four whites, and three bottles of bubbly you can proudly pour at your festive table or confidently slip into gift bags for €159.50 on sale with a whopping €40 in savings!

The recession is biting hard in the French wine making industry, with the sales of table wine and Vin de Pays reportedly falling by almost a quarter this year. Naturally, the higher end of the market has also taken a considerable hit, as people are thinking twice before purchasing sparkling wine, with many opting for competitively priced prosecco or cava.

New rules introduced for the 2009 harvest in this prestigious region will mean that more than 40% less Champagne will be produced this year. Stocks are high at the moment, and the basic rule of supply and demand would dictate that price would fall as supply rises and demand tails off, but the powers that be are doing their best to preserve the premium price levels.

The new deal struck will see the basic yield set at 8,000kg/ha (equivalent to around 230m bottles), which is intended to see growers get a fair deal, whilst not adding to the surplus headache of the Champagne houses.

It’s easy to say that Champagne producers need to lower their expectations and start selling at lower prices, but it’s not as easy as that. I believe the rules and regulations surrounding the French appellations help to maintain consistent high standards, whether it’s for an inexpensive white Burgundy or a vintage Champagne. Could that be what makes France the greatest wine making nation on earth?

This of course could be argued either way. My point is that this kind of action helps to protect the region in the long run, whilst ensuring if we want to get our hands on the worlds best sparkling, we know where to go, even if it is at a premium price. Essentially, it helps cut out the rubbish and keeps the bar set high.

France is getting it tough at the moment, but I’ve no fear for the future. Provided they can keep their head above water for the next few years, they’ll once again allow their wine to do the talking. And consumers will nod in agreement.

To view Decanter’s article on Champagne’s new harvest rules, click here.