Beringer Sparkling White Zinfandel

Cost: $10
Smell: Ripe strawberries
When it touches the tongue: Sweet peach and strawberry
Aftertaste: Very smooth, light, strawberry taste.

Overall: It's not tart. It's very soft and smooth. The mixture of strawberry and peach is very light and ...well..creamy :)
I very rarely have enjoyed a sparkler this much at such a low price. I would proudly bring this to any party. And I plan on having it more often!

Freixenet Elyssia Pinot Noir Rose Brut Cava

Cost: $18
Smell: Sweet berries
When it touches the tongue: Tart strawberry & grape
Aftertaste: Strawberries and cream, smooth flavor, a little dry
Alcohol content: 11.5

Overall: This is a pretty tasty rose sparkler. The acidity balances the dryness at the end. If you let it sit in your glass for a little while, it gets even smoother. The taste of alcohol is barely detectable. It has a full fruity flavor, slightly tart.

Anselmi Prosecco

Cost: $11
Smell: Alcohol & sour grapes
When it touches the tongue: A purple grape & pear flavor
Aftertaste: The sourness eases up a little, and it becomes a little lighter.

Overall: The overall flavor was a little too acidic for my taste. You can taste the alcohol in this one, and I'm sure it's because of the price point. It's not overly bubbly. If it was a little more dry, it would probably be much better. I think there are better options out there for near this pricepoint. However if you enjoy grapy, acidic sparklers, you will enjoy this one.

Cara Mia Pinot Grigio Sparkling Wine

 Cost: $11
Smell: Sour grapes
When it touches the tongue: Bright, light white grapes
Aftertaste: The aftertaste is a tangy white grape, dry. There seems to be a nutty hint, and maybe a touch of apple or berry. Slightly sour.

Overall: Very crisp, clean, smooth sparkler. Not overly bubbly. Nice and dry. And for the cost, I am truly amazed! Barely a taste of alcohol. It goes down smoothly. It's a little sweet, but in a fruity way, not in a sugary way.
Definitely a good option if you're on a budget but want something tasty!

(Weingut Fritz Allendorf) Pomp Blanc Seductive

Cost: $22
Smell: Apples
When it touches the tongue: Apples and grapes
Aftertaste: Light, barely sweet, full-flavored, apples. Dry.

Overall: This is a high contender for one of my favorite sparklers! It's not overly sweet. It has a ton of flavor and it just delicious!

Alice Le Vigne di Alice Ose

Cost:$18

Smell: Sweet grapes

When it touches the tongue: Ripe cherry and grape

Aftertaste: Tingly, tangy, strawberry and cherry.

Alcohol: 11.5%

Overall: A very tangy, sweet sparkler. This goes down easy, but honestly, I thought it was a little too sweet. It's a little dry, but not enough to balance out the sweetness.

German Gilabert

Cost: $15

Smell: Apple

When it touches the tongue: Crisp apple and (almost) lime flavor

Aftertaste: Sweet apple and grape, dry.

Alcohol: 11.5%

Overall: I really enjoyed this one. A great rose, and nice and dry. I would definitely buy this one again. I brought it to a Christmas party and a lot of people liked it. I thought the hint of apple was a nice touch.

La Marca Prosecco

 

Cost: $13

Smell: Sweet grapes

When it touches the tongue: Very smooth, light grape

Aftertaste: A slight sweetness

Alcohol: 11%

Overall: A simple sparkler. At first it didn't taste like much, but after a few sips, you could taste the sweetness and the flavor became more full.

It was actually pretty good, and at around $13 you can't go wrong!

Korbel Brut

Cost: $11
Smell: Tart grapes
When it touches the tongue: Crispy grape
Aftertaste: Lighter, tart, not too dry.

Overall: Korbel is one of those you'll find at a bar where they offer one or two choices. You know, it's like the bar owner made the drink menu and at the last second, was like "OH! We need some sparklers! Someone go grab some Korbel!"
It is a very simple, easy to drink sparkler. Hardly any alcohol taste, but the overall flavor is nothing special. I would say you should just use this one for mimosas, otherwise, it's nothing exciting.

Mionetto Prosecco

Cost: $15
Smell: Watery grapes
When it touches the tongue: A light, dry, grape.
Aftertaste: Slightly tart, dry.

Overall: I see this sparkler everywhere, and I'm glad I finally tried it. It was not as sweet as I prefer, but I still enjoyed it, so it just goes to show that it's a good choice when you're going to a party with people of multiple tastes.

Sofia Blanc de Blancs

Cost: $15
Smell: Bitter, nutty (not in a bad way)
When it touches the tongue: Has a sharpness, tart grape
Aftertaste: Smoother, almost pear tasting. Dry.
Alcohol: 11%

Overall: This is a nice mixture of dry & sweet - I think this could please a variety of people at a party. Also, it would make great momosas! This is a good priced sparkler for the taste.

Banfi Rosa Ragale

Cost: $17 

Smell: raspberries & apples

When it touches the tongue: Ripe raspberries

Aftertaste: Ripe sweet apples

Alcohol: 7%

Overall: A very sweet, very smooth and frothy drink! The fact that there is only 7% alcohol by volume means you literally cannot taste any alcohol. There's almost no acidity to this either. Usually by the second glass I'm a bit toasty, but not with this one, so it would be great for beginners. However the deep berries and creamy texture is really nice, and it's almost like your drinking a dessert. Even though I like sweeter sparklers, this one is almost a little too sweet after a while - like I said, it's like drinking a dessert!

Cheers!

Meinklang Prosa

Cost: On sale $14.99, $20 regular
Smell: Smokey berries
When it touches the tongue: Very sweet strawberries
Aftertaste: Slightly more tart, almost a hint of cherry.
Alcohol: 10.5%

Overall: This is a sweet one, and it's not dry. The alcohol is almost undetectable. It's not overly bubbly, it almost seems like a mix between regular wine and sparkling. Very soft and smooth. This is a desert in itself! I really liked it and would definitely get it again.

Taltarni Brut Tache

I liked the font on this one, and wanted to try an Australian brand, in case I ever go to a Sparkling Wine Olympics. 


Cost: On sale for $15.99 at Mile High Wine & Spirits, LLC
Smell: strong grape
When it hits the tongue: Straightforward grape
Aftertaste: Pear and strawberry. 

Overall: I had this with some sharp cheddar cheese and found it was a very good combination. 
Again, it does not strong taste of alcohol. It was fruity and light.
At the end of each sip is a slight dryness that balances out the sweetness at the beginning. 
Whether you're new to sparkling wine/champaigne, or have a seasoned palate, you will definitely enjoy this one!

Cheers! 

Allimant Laugner Cremant d'Alsace Rose

Cost: $24 at Mile High Wine & Spirits, LLC
Smell: tart grapes
When it hits the tongue: Very light and fresh tasting berry
Aftertaste: strawberries and cream. A hint of dryness and grapefruit lingers on your tongue. The only reason I stopped drinking it was to write this review so I could rave about it!

I'm not gunna lie, this tastes AMAZING.
Perfectly smooth, hardly any alcohol taste, low acidity - just a beautiful, velvety, creamy, light berry taste, mixed with cripsy bubbles.
I will definitely be buying this one again!
Pair with some sharp cheddar cheese. 
Delicious!!

Alma Negra Sparkling Rose Malbec

Cost: $22 at Mondo Vino

Smell: Earthy grapes 
When it hits the tongue: Lightly sweet. Its like a mixture of grape and berry
Aftertaste: Velvety smooth, hint of sweetness. You can really barely taste that typical "alcohol" aftertaste you get with wines. It isn't very dry, it's like the perfect combination. Very crisp and light.
I tried it with some Muenster and sharp cheddar cheese and it was such a great combo.
If you weren't paying attention in the first review, I mentioned that I tried this sparkling wine at a bar and thought it was the best thing ever.

I still stand by that statement! It's definitely my second favorite adult beverage next to Long Island Ice Teas :)


Cheers!

Veuve Du Vernay Brut Rose

Cost: $11 at Mile High Wine and Spirits

Smell: Fresh, light grapes.
When it hits the tongue: Strawberry or mixed berry (sweet)
Aftertaste: Tart and dry! There is a fair amount of acidity as well..I kind of got sick of it by the 3rd glass.
The nice thing (for me) is that there isn't a taste of alcohol afterwords. It's nice and fresh. Personally, I like it sweeter though.

I think it's a good one for those who don't like it quite so sweet, but it would please both sides of the spectrum. Also, for $11 it was surprisingly yummy!!

Cheers!

Bitch Bubbly

The name & bottle is really cute! At first I was a bit wary about the cap because it's a regular bottle cap. It made it seem more like a novelty sparkling wine. But then I opened it.

Cost: $13 at Mondo Vino.
Smell: Mixed berry
When it hits the tongue: Smooth, creamy, strawberry. I kid you not it almost reminds me of a strawberry jollyrancher. Makes my mouth water! 
Aftertaste: A little zing of pear. It's not dry. You can barely taste any alcohol (which can be either a good thing or bad thing, depending on your preference).

If you're into sweeter drinks (as I am), this one is delicious!!
I would say this is my favorite so far. I would bring this to a party. It's gimmicky and fun, but backs up it's attitude with amazing flavor!

Cheers!

BB Cap Rose Extra Dry

I thought this one would be a fun little party gift, but I wanted to try it first.
I'm glad I did because I would NEVER bring this to a party and never give it as a party gift.

Cost: $4
It's about the size of a regular beer bottle.
All I am going to say is that it tasted like icky sweet bubbly alcohol, smelled like alcohol, and had a sour/sweet taste that just wasn't good.

Save your money and buy a regular yummy bottle of champagne or sparkling wine and don't go for this "cute" one.

Zardetto Prosecco Brut

Cost: $13 at Costcos
Smell: Light, slightly fruity
When it hits the tongue: Smooth and sweet
Aftertaste: Fruity pear taste, slighly tart as it leaves the tounge, and dry afterward.
Towards the end of glass (as the bubbles reduced), it got even sweeter which I liked :) However don't take too long to drink your glass...most of the bubbles seemed to leave within 10-15 minutes.
The alcohol taste kicked in after a while (personally, not a fan of that)
Not bad for $13.

I don't recommend eating anything sweet with it because the sparkling wine will taste very bitter.

Gruet, Blanc de Noirs

Cost: $11 at Costcos.
Smell: Strong, grapes, slightly "sour"
When it hits the tongue: A second of tartness, then a bitter grape taste with the typical bubbly effect. Not very dry.
Aftertaste: sweeter, leaves you wanting another sip.

Overall, it was tasty, unless you're someone who only likes "sweet drinks." Then I would go in a different direction. This is one of the most popular sparklers I see. However, I personally can't rave about it.

Edit: Since I couldn't finish it in one night, I finished it the next day and it was a lot more tart, almost sour-grape tasting. But it was still very bubbly. Just thought you should know!

Cheers!

Welcome!

Before I continue, I want to just clear one thing up:

Sparkling wine = bubbly wine

Champagne = bubbly wine only from Champagne, France

So now you know.

Hello, I'm Sarah, a self-proclaimed sparkling wine amateur.
If you're not experienced in the incredibly wide world of sparkling wines or champagnes, choosing a good one (for ANY occasion) can feel nerve-wracking or daunting.
There are just soooo many options out there and you don't want anyone to answer with your name when the question was "who the heck picked out this nasty champagne??"

I started trying sparkling wines and champagnes in October 2010. It's barely been 1 month and I've tried over 8 different bottles. What can I say? I'm hooked!
My initial goal was to find my very favorite of all favorites, that I could afford, that I could be proud to bring to a party.
I found one, which I currently call my favorite, but I'm starting to realize that it's just too soon to say what my *favorite* is when I have tried less than 10 bottles!
So, now I have a different goal:
To continue delving into the delicious and bubbly world of sparkling wines, and at the same time, continue to offer my amateur review so other newbies can maybe learn a thing or two as well as find a yummy bottle. Simple terms. Simply delicious.

Just so everyone knows, I tend to enjoy a sweetness to my drinks, so those are the ones I tend to try. In case you wonder why there are so many rose choices!

OK - so I'm going to post my first 8 reviews right now. Then I'll post more as I continue to explore!

Here is a quick review of different types of sparkling wines:
Extra Brut - is "extra" dry
Brut – dry
Extra dry – middle of the road dry, not as dry as Brut
Demi-sec – pretty sweet