Category: Other Surprising Specialties

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Other Surprising Specialties

Graham Beck Méthode Cap Classique Brut (South Africa)

Bubbly’s take…

This sparkling hails from South Africa and is made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. It is a reassuringly dry and strong wine, made not too far from Cape Town. Given we’re increasingly accustomed to (read: ‘spoilt by’) Champagnes and Crémants, the Graham Beck made a refreshing change and this wine is testimony to some of the contemporary rivals that can be found beyond the traditional wine-making regions. It looks great and comes out of the bottle with an excitable fizz hence we think this one would make an elegant and reasonably-priced party-pleaser.

Would go well with…

The Graham Beck is quite a robust wine with a big personality so we think it caters well to meals and nibbles with strong flavours. Cheeses, seafood and citrus-based dishes would make a good pairing with this sparkling.

Where to buy…

Majestic Wine

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Other Surprising Specialties

Bedin Prosecco Treviso (Italy)

Bubbly’s take…

This is a great mellow Prosecco. It has a nicely balanced flavour with plenty of depth but without the bitter after-taste that is occasionally reminiscent of Italian sparklings. This is a reliable and refreshing Prosecco that is vended from a well-established wine merchant.

Would go well with…

Home-made pizza!

Where to buy…

Tordoffs

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Other Surprising Specialties

Castel Fagila Franciacorta (Italy)

Bubbly’s take…

This fire-cracker of a sparkling wine is a three-grape varietal that hails from a quaint commune in Lombardy, Italy. The Franciacorta blossoms with a vibrant flavour of apples and melon. But there is a depth to this one, with some tart and sharper notes. It also has a lovely fragrant aroma.

Would go well with…

We enjoyed the Franciacorta with breaded fish and chips, which we know isn’t a quintessential pairing… but it turned out to be a really nice meal. We also think this speaks to the versatility of this wine, being both robust and flexible.

Where to buy…

Tesco

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Other Surprising Specialties

Adeletto Prosecco (Italy)

Bubbly’s take…

Another Saturday, another Prosecco and this one is reassuringly dry. The Adeletto comes out of the bottle with a healthy plume of fizz. This one is not too fragrant and easy on palate hence we think it would make a great apéritif. It carries wholesome and refined notes of apple and grape so it is likely to appeal to anyone that wants a Prosecco that… well, tastes like a true Prosecco.

Would go well with…

Itself. Again, we think the Adeletto would make a nice apéritif. If you are inclined to match this with a meal then we would a suggest a seafood-based starter; for example, a prawn cocktail, Gravlax or fish cakes.

Where to buy…

Co-op

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Pizzolato Prosecco Brut (Italy)

Bubbly’s take…

Another fine Italian sparkling that offers very good value for money. This Prosecco isn’t shy, which is somewhat surprising for an organic wine. It possesses a zesty and direct flavour, reminiscent of apples and pears. That said, we found this to be a palatable and versatile, which we think would be suited to most white wine-lovers and meals. Also being vegan, we think this surprising Prosecco definitely deserves a Ten of Hearts.

Would go well with…

Having a name like “Pizzolato”, we were almost tempted to go traditional and polish off a pizza or some gnocci with this Prosecco. Unconventional as always, we summoned Uber Eats to grab us some delicious Vietnamese food from Bahn mi Leo, and it was a refreshing pairing! We had a traditional Bánh Mí (baguette – check this out for a recipe!), prawn crackers, summer rolls and a fresh sweet chilli salad. With the Pizzolato, it was simply delicious!

Where to buy…

Co-op

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Other Surprising Specialties

Corte Molino Prosecco (Italy)

Bubbly’s take…

This is one of the drier Proseccos that we’ve tried. We had, mistakenly, assumed Prosecco was one of the sweeter sparklings though this one proves us wrong. It has a brisk, lemony and uplifting taste, and pairs well with a Friday evening after long week at work! This is a dependable and well-priced sparkling that should interest any Prosecco-lover.

Would go well with…

Well, of course this would suit anything Italian or even Mediterranean cuisine. That said, we enjoyed this with a delicious Vietnamese takeaway, being well-suited to the fusion of sweet, sour and savoury flavours.

Where to buy…

Co-op

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La Delfina Prosecco (Italy)

Bubbly’s take: This Prosecco offers good value in return for a reasonably dry and well-defined flavour. It comes out of the bottle with a very pale complexion, almost as bright as a midsummer’s moon. This wine has a lilting but not overwhelming taste that is reminiscent of citrus fruits.

Would go well with: Pizza! We even enjoyed this Prosecco on our home-made pizza night:

Where to buy: .

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Col de L’Utia Prosecco Superiore Organic (Italy)

Bubbly’s take: This vibrant Prosecco has a dazzling and zesty profile. It’s neither too dry nor too fruity hence we think this is perfect for bringing balance to more varied dishes. Incidentally, we enjoyed this with a lovely homemade dinner of honeycomb courgette cannelloni, a fennel and pesto tart served with a Caesar salad:

Would go well with: Mediterranean recipes, particularly vegetable-based French or Italian courses. This Prosecco seems to do well at reconciling lots of different dishes so it would be well-paired with a tapas- or meze-based meal.

Where to buy: .

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Camel Valley Reserve Brut (United Kingdom)

Bubbly’s take: Never have we ever had a Cornish sparkling wine. Our impression has been that the English sparkling wine industry is predominant in the home counties, with even The New York Times taking note of certain distinguished Surrey- and Sussex-based names. In contrast, Camel Valley are an increasingly-celebrated, family-managed winery based in a picturesque part of Cornwall and testament to the growing prominence of British wine producers. This particular wine is quite intriguing, bringing a dry and buzzing flavour to the palate. Interestingly, however, we found this Brut possessed a softer fragrance, lacking the abrasive bouquet that is typical of drier sparklings. If you are keen to sample an English wine at the frontier of the national industry, then we certainly think Camel Valley is worth a try.

Would go well with: Fish (paying homage to this Brut’s Cornish heritage!) or a creamy dessert.

Where to buy: .

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Other Surprising Specialties

Borgo dei Sassi Prosecco (Italy)

Bubbly’s take: This is a fairly dry Prosecco though it is still very flavourful and fragrant, with modest notes of pear and lemon. Unlike Champagne and other sparklings, Prosecco is produced through the aptly-named metodo italiano (the Italian method or “Charmat Method”) that involves the wine being fermented and carbonated in closed tanks, rather than in-bottle. We think the Borgo dei Sassi Prosecco represents a refreshing reproduction of this esteemed sparkling wine.

Would go well with: A pizza. However, when thoroughly chilled, we think this wine would make an excellent apéritif. Definitely one to share with friends, a loved one or even just Netflix, if you’re having a solo night.

Where to buy: .