Sparkling Wine Question...

[dnovak]

Hi All,

I am new to the board and fairly new at wine drinking. But I have a question I was hoping you could help me with...

A couple that I know that are quite the wine enthusiasts & are quite knowledgeable at the wine industry, had a party on New Years Eve. They served a magnificent sparkling wine named "Vin du Bugey Cerdon" It was fantastic, we all drank it up like there was no tomorrow.

Well I had asked where I could get a hand on a couple of bottles myself (since I heard at one time that if your going to have anything on hand to break open at the last minute - you should have some Champagne on hand or something like it). Well they informed me that they could never find it sold locally, here in the Minneapolis area. That they ordered it through their distributor in New York and that they would order me some the next time they order, this spring.

But since I would like to start off a little sooner than that. I asked for recommendations on alternatives in the meanwhile. They recommended "Seaview Brut" or "Marquis De Perlade" (spelling?). And if I wanted to go sweeter, that I could try an "Asti Spumante" or "Moscato d'Asti".

Now I trust them completely but I thought it wouldn't be bad to get a second or third opinion since their taste in wine is for a much more dryer wine than I. I don't necessarily like syrupy sweet wines but not as dry as their tastes.

Anyway, my question is:
Have you heard of "Vin du Bugey Cerdon"?
And if you have, do you have any ideas of what sparkling wines that are comparable to this wine? Especially wines that are fairly inexpensive like less than $15 a bottle? (That was one contingency I gave my friends and that's why they recommended what they did - with that restriction in mind).

I would appreciate any input...

Sincerely,
David S. Novak

[Kcwhippet]

David,

We have that Champagne in our shop for $12.99. There are a lot of well made, very good sparklers for that price and lower. Check with your local wine shop and see if they have Falesco (Italy), Segura Viudas (Spain) or Gloria Ferrer (U.S.).

[dnovak]

Thanks Kcwhippet, Ill check them out! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/redface.gif[/img])

Any other suggestions?

Sincerely,
David S. Novak

[dnovak]

That's irritating... I typed a smile face on the end of my first line on my last post & got wierd face symbol. Please ignore that and take it as a smile, Kcwhippet...

Sincerely,
David

[Puccino]

Hi David,

It's nice to see that others appreciate the Cerdon sparkling wine. The wine guy at our favorite little wine shop, Le Derniere Goute, recommended it to us once and we will not host a party without it now!! It has become a HUGE hit in our house - so much so that we haven't purchased an actual bottle of champagne in over 2 years now! People seem to really enjoy the color as well as the taste, and at only 10 bucks a bottle over here, it's a great deal!!

A bientot,
Puccino

[dnovak]

Hi Puccino,

The couple, mentioned in my previous post, has informed me I that it’s been a big hit with their friends too. Even their friends that are ‘white wine’ purist, have fallen for this pink sparkler.

With it’s low alcohol content, my wife even enjoys it. She isn’t much of a drinker and can taste the slightest tinge of alcohol in drinks. But she actually drank quite a bit of this wine New Year’s Eve. I was fairly surprised…

I can only hope that the demand grows within the Twin-cities area here that someone may stock it. But at this time I don’t think there is anyone locally that carries it. If anyone from this area or is familiar with the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, knows of someone that stocks Vin du Bugey Cerdon, I would greatly appreciate knowing it…

From what I hear from my friends, is that they can get it shipped in for about $13-$14 a bottle. That’s not too bad, especially when I believe it competes with some Champagne that goes for $30 or so. But I do envy you that you can get it for $10. But then again your much more closer and do not require the over sea shipping.

Sincerely,
David

[Thomas]

Another alternative to Champagne that is less expensive but truly a good value: Blanchette di Limoux.

[dnovak]

Hi Foodie,

Thanks for that suggestion! I will check it out... *smile*

Sincerely,
David

[stevebody]

A buddy of mine who works at another big wine shop here in Seattle bugged me for months to try the Freixenet Carta Nevada. I've always looked askance at Freix for the tacky black bottles and frequwntly for what they contained. But one day last summer I was at the grocery store, wanted a quicky white and grabbed a bottle. Man! I've always known the Spanish have a way with chardonnay but this stuff was obviously made from some world-class grapes. It's light, citrusy, a touch bitter AND a touch sweet. What a great little bargain! I see it everywhere fror $6 and it's on sale for $4.99 a LOT.

If you like a little sweetness, try some of the Italian Moscatos that are made frizante or slightly fizzy. Spinetti makes a great one that sells for around $12.

Lastly, the Aussie Salenger Brut Vintage is an obscure gem, about $11 and elegant, with a nice mineral profile and tiny bead.

[dnovak]

Hi Stevebody,

Thanks! I haven't heard as much on this post asking about sparkling wines. But your suggestion of Freixenet Carta Nevada sounds very intriguing. And the price, who could argue with trying it out at that price. Wow! Anyhow, thank you... *smile*

I will also check out the Spinetti Italian Moscatos & the Aussie Salenger Brut Vintage...

Sincerely,
David