Summer bubbles

Did someone say Bubbles? Yes, we did. Because as we roll out of the spring blues and into summer, the energy in the air calls for sparkling wines. Now, don’t get us wrong, there’s no real bad time to drink sparkling wine, in fact, sparkling wines can work with almost any occasion! But, we do think that there is something about the sense of re-awaking, renewal, coming to life about summer time, which calls for the liveliness, energy, and fun of sparkling wines. You may notice that we haven’t used the word “Champagne” here yet..and if you’re wondering why that may be, well, hold on to your seat because Champagne only comes from…you guessed it..Champagne, France. Sparkling wines are made all over the world, and with all kinds of grapes, and in many different styles, so best to use the term sparkling wines when we refer to the whole category. Plus, the French tend to get pretty upset if you start calling things Champagne when they aren't..

So, what exactly constitutes a “summer bubble” anyways? Well, in our minds, this would be a sparkling wine that is fresh, vibrant, and joyful. Something that when you take that first sip, fills you with a sense of excitement and possibility, and something to be shared with friends. As we mentioned, there are multiple types of sparkling wines made, and these fall primarily into two categories, method ancestral, aka Pétillant Natural aka Pet-Nat and methode traditionelle, aka methode champenoise. The wines produced via methode ancestral, which makes Pet-Nats, is essentially the super old-school way to make sparkling wine. One fermentation, in the bottle, and boom, you’ve got some proper fizzy juice. They tend to be more fruit driven, and when well made, lovely and energetic bubbles. 

Then you have methode traditionelle, which is what is done in Champagne, but also to make what are known as Crémants or essentially sparkling wines in the methode traditionelle outside of the Champagne region. Other things which fall in this category include Cava from Spain, (and Corpinat for the nerds), Cap Classique in South Africa and so on. This is two fermentations- a dry still wine is made first, and then this is bottled, some yeast and sugar is added, and then a second fermentation begins inside the now sealed bottle, creating the bubbles. These tend to be a bit more complex, can have more toasty, brioche notes, but still remain very fresh and vibrant. We have organized a mixture of Pet-Nats, Crémants, and maybe a cheeky bottle of Champagne or two for you here, but all designed to keep things fresh, vibrant, and full of life. These will definitely help you welcome in the summer!