Excuse me waiter, my Sauvignon Blanc appears to be bubbling.

Inexpensive sparkling wine imports, namely Prosecco and Cava, have received a lot of press in the last 18 months.  Hoping to relate to a hipper crowd, media outlets like the Wall Street Journal have been frantically trying to place themselves on the cutting-edge of wine consumption: five years too late.  I love Prosecco, and I love Cava too.  But I’d like to suggest a couple of sparkling options you might not have encountered yet that tend to be just as affordable and equally compelling.

Odd Aussies

Australian wine makers are courageous; they will try things that producers from older regions would never attempt, for fear of breaking tradition.  De Bortoli’s new line of sparklers is a perfect example of this.  Named Emeri for a family matriarch, the line includes a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc.  Fresh, herbaceous, lime fruit and a well-balanced effervescence make this the coolest beach wine anywhere.

Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc: $12.99

Sekt

Few have ever been accused of associating the Germans with jollity.  That being said, and evening spent with their native sparkler, Sekt, is almost always delightful.  Most Sekt producers us the Italian Charmat method to craft their wines, which gives Sekt the same refreshingly volatile carbonation that Prosecco displays.  Henkell’s trocken Sekt contains more residual sugar and adds a layer of richness to the sharp dryness of brut Sekt.

Henkell Trocken Brut Sekt: $15.99

Loire Valley

The Loire never fails to supply drinkers with delicious, and affordable, wines.  Remy Pannier is a Loire stalwart, and a substantial portion of their yearly production is devoted to their Marquis de la Tour sparkler.  Composed largely of Chenin Blanc, this bubbly definitely exemplifies Chenin’s deliciously crisp and dry, fruitiness.

Marquis de la Tour Brut: $11.99

J.

Tags: cava, Chenin Blanc, emeri de bortoli, henkell, Loire, marquis de la tour, prosecco, remy-pannier, sauvignon blanc, sekt, sparkling wine, wall street journal
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Merlot: The Redheaded Stepchild

Poor, poor Merlot… 5 years ago, the movie Sideways took a fairly arbitrary stance against the noble grape (remember: Paul Giamatti hamming it up, screeching - literally screeching - about “not drinking any effing Merlot”). In the years since, Merlot’s garnered a reputation for being flabby, watered down, mass-produced… and Pinot Noir’s reputation, Giamatti’s obsession in the movie, skyrocketed. In 2009, we’re still feeling the cultural reverberation. The price of Pinot Noir has shot through the roof and Merlot racks collect dust in the dankest corner of wine stores.

Is it fair? Nope. Before the movie, it’s true, Merlot had been the casual drinker’s go-to for years and years, causing the larger production companies to churn out slop to meet demand. And that slop really wasn’t that great. Still isn’t that great. But, Merlot’s been around a long, long time (Bordeaux, anyone?) and it’s unfair to assume that all Merlot is created equal. If the cheap swill is still cheap swill, the finely crafted Merlots are still finely crafted Merlots.

And the world of critics is finally catching up. One would think being a wine critic implies a certain lack of bias and an open mind, but… well, the critics have been equally unfair. Until now. A few weeks back, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, who write the Wall Street Journal’s immensely respected tasting column, blind tasted fifty bottles of Merlot. Reportedly, they entered with dread, but left pleasantly surprised. Yup. The bottles that surprised them included a bottle each of Charles Krug, Ravenswood, Simi… So, maybe we can expect a little more respect for Merlot in the future.

Here at dT, we’re not even close to surprised, pleasantly or otherwise. We’ve been drinking Merlot all along. If you want to check out some cool bottles, try the Wildhurst merlot, which goes for $15.99. Want to check out what we think about it? Read Jeff’s rant on it in our wine review section, Don’t Worry, I’ll Drink It For You.

Don’t pay attention to the media. Pay attention to your palette. And if there isn’t a single Merlot that you don’t like, don’t drink Merlot. But give it a chance. That’s all I ask.

dJp

Tags: merlot, paul giamatti, pinot noir, sideways, wall street journal
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