Spanish Sparkling

I’m a big fan of Champagne-method sparkling wines.
This means the second fermentation (which creates the bubbles in sparkling wines) happens in the bottle, not in a big container or vat.
It takes longer, it’s more work, and it’s more expensive.
And, I believe, you can taste all of that effort when you pop those bottles and pour a glass.

💰 Because this is a more expensive process, you won’t often find super cheap Champagne-method sparkling wines. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re expensive.

Spanish Cava is a Champagne-method (aka traditional method) sparkling wine. Cava is usually a blend of Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo grapes.

This Roger Goulart 2018 Organic Cava Brut Reserva is just $21.99 on wine.com and got 92 points from James Suckling. It’s 50% Macabeo, 35% Xarel-lo, and 15% Parellada. It’s a pretty, pale straw color with some golden highlights and really fine fizz. (That fizz DID hold up overnight, so don’t be afraid to open some on Saturday night and finish the bottle at Sunday brunch, if you have a good Champagne stopper.) It has lightly toasty aromas with a touch of cream and some lemon zest. You can taste that tart lemon along with some salty flavors. It was bright, refreshing, and dry. (Brut Nature means no added sugar.) It would be perfect with raw bar, sushi, light fish, or on its own.