The Best Sparkling Wines To Pop The Cork On Now, From Champagne To Pet Nats

Wine editor Jo Burzynska rounds up the very best sparkling wines for the festive season.

From zero dosage to zero alcohol, Grand Marques to grower Champagnes, in Viva’s annual sparkling selection this year, there’s a cornucopia of sparkling wines to choose from for the festive season’s celebrations and gifts.

Fine New Zealand Fizz

Sparkling options from Aotearoa have never been stronger. Most of our top examples are made from the classic varieties, chardonnay and pinot noir, using the traditional method (méthode traditionelle) pioneered in Champagne.

It’s a time-consuming technique that can result in the finest quality bubbles and most complex flavours. We have a great cool climate for producing this style, and an expanding group of winemakers represented in these recommendations, dedicated to making world-class examples.

1. Awatere River Marlborough Méthode Traditionnelle NV

Méthode traditionelle may be a costly process, but there are still some bargains to be had. This example from Awatere River is a sophisticated wine for a modest price, with an elegant white-fruited palate with notes of malt biscuit and almond paste. It could also make a classy gift, with a gift box available at no extra cost when purchased from Gravity Cellars.

Stockists: $35 First Glass, Mount Wine Barrel, Mount Maunganui, selected Woolworths Stores Gravity Cellars

Very little rosy-fingered dawn makes its way into the dark cool depths of Johanneshof’s underground hillside cellar where this beauty has been ageing for more than a decade. New Dawn is an attractively mature and creamy textured style, with a deep savoury core and notes of spice cake and ripe strawberry that are counterpoised by hints of herb and bright citrus.

Stockists: $49 from Fine Wine Delivery Co., Hamilton Beer and Wine Company, The Merchant of Taupo, Advintage Wines, Hawkes Bay

3. McCorkindale Waipara Blanc de Blancs Méthode Traditionelle Brut Nature LC13

One of the finest local sparkling wines I’ve tasted to date, this bone-dry, chalky and pure expression of chardonnay hails from Alan McCorkindale’s dedicated sparkling vineyard in Waipara. A decade on its yeast lees has imparted rich umami, honey toast and hazelnut characters. But with its crisp notes of lemon and lime, it’s still thrillingly fresh. A complex and beautifully balanced wine.

Stockists: $150 from McCorkindale Wines

4. Vilaura Marlborugh Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Méthode Traditionelle 2020

This is the second impressive release from new méthode traditionelle specialists, Jascha Oldham-Selak and Sanne Witteveen. The first was from Hawke’s Bay, where they’re based, but this extremely stylish example is from Marlborough. It’s bone dry and creamy, layering notes crisp green apple and grapefruit, and touch minerality, over a lovely yeasty depth.

Stockists: $58 from Farro Fresh, Waiheke Wine Centre, Hamilton Beer and Wine Co, Advintage, Regional wines

5. Quartz Reef Central Otago Méthode Traditionnelle Rosé NV

Stockists: $47 from Caro Wines, Farro Fresh, Pt Chev Organic Wines, Fine Wine Delivery, Hamilton Wine Co

6. No1 Family Estate Assemble Marlborough NV

Local méthode traditionnelle pioneer, Daniel le Brun makes some of the finest examples of the style in Aotearoa. Among these is one of the country’s best value. No1 Family Estate’s well-priced Assemble, combines classic notes of spiced apple, toasted almond and breadcrust, which are lifted by a citrussy freshness. A great wine to keep chilled for any occasion over the festive season.

Stockists: $36 from Point Wines, First Glass, L’lacool, Good Wine Co, No1familyestate.co.nz

7. Giesen 0% Alcohol Removed New Zealand Sparkling Brut NV

Those not drinking alcohol over the festive season need not miss out the sparkling action, with this highly quaffable alcohol-removed sparkler. Prosecco-like in style, it’s light, with a lemony freshness, notes of peach, and waft of jasmine. Technology means alcohol-free wines have been getting way better. This was originally made as a full-strength wine, before spinning cone technology removed the aroma then the alcohol, with the aroma then recombined with the de-alcoholised wine. Clever stuff.

Stockists: $16-$21 from Lalcool, The Chiller, The Good Wine Co, selected New World and Pak’n’ Save supermarkets

8. Allan Scott Effervesce Marlborough Méthode Traditionnelle 2011

Effervesce is a rare example of a sparkling wine that was aged not in a cellar but in the sea, 13m down in the Marlborough Sounds. Oceanic ageing was inspired by the freshness of 170-year-old bottles of Champagne found in a shipwreck, likely due to underwater pressure, the cool constant temperature and the darkness that combined appear to result in slower and more elegant ageing. You’re paying for this process and limited production, but Effervesce is impressive: ultra-fresh and fine with its pure white fruits, and complex nuances of almond paste, stone and brioche.

Stockists: $2000 from Allanscott.com, Glengarry

Champion Champagnes, Queen Of The Fizz

By reputation, Champagne still reigns as the queen of fizz. Some bad news this year though, is that prices have been on the rise. The good news, however, is that there are some fine and varied Champagnes available, which span the famous “Grand Marques” to lesser-known labels made by far smaller grape growers. If you like your Champagnes on the racy side, go for those in which chardonnay dominates, or the blanc de blancs in which it’s the sole grape.

Conversely, the black varieties of pinot noir and meunier, make fuller-bodied specimens in blends or on their own in blanc de noirs. For something ultra-dry, look out for “brut nature”, “zero dosage” wines in which no sugar has been added when the bottle is topped up before its final corking. Fresher characters are also more likely present in wines that state they have been “recently disgorged”. If you’re going to splash out on Champagne, this is the time of year to do it, with six-bottle case deals to be had for those stocking up.

1. Champagne Marion-Bosser Premier Cru Brut 2013

Most Champagne is a blend of numerous years, a practice developed to mitigate the risk of tricky vintages in the very cool climate of Champagne. This wine, however, is the reflection of a single year, the initially underrated 2013 vintage, which is really starting to shine. There’s some lovely toasty, smoky and savoury maturity to this Premier Cru, with a touch of flintiness. The vintage has brought a great acidity, providing a fine grapefruity foil to the wine’s richness.

Stockists: $135 from Threefrenchvines.co.nz or at selected New World stores

2. Champagne Mumm RSRV Brut Rosé Foujita NV

RSRV was the abbreviation Mumm used for special cuvées set aside for family and friends. These small-production Grand Crus are now available to the public. The rosé – named after the Franco-Japanese designer of the emblem on the neck of all the house’s rosés – is stunning. It is a multilayered wine with fullness and a racy freshness to its palate of fragrant strawberry and raspberry fruit, hints of almond croissant, rich savoury dimension and silky mousse. Look out for it on wine lists over the festive season as it’s on-premise only.

Stockists: Varied prices in on-premise outlets such as Soul Bar and Sky City

3. Champagne Charles de Cazanove Tete de Cuvee NV

Charles de Cazanove’s rich and classy Tete de Cuvee is my great value pick of the year. From a family-owned house founded in 1811, this is a bolder style given the dominance of pinot varieties in the blend. There’s ripe apple fruit, generous notes of praline, and even a hint of toffee. This is balanced by a bright line of citrus that keeps things fresh. A big wine and bang for your buck.

Stockists: $65 from Wine Direct, The Good Wine Company, Fine Wine Delivery Company , Blackmarket, Advintage

4. Champagne Lombard Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature NV

From the third generation of a family-owned house, Thomas Lombard joined in 2017 with a vision to create terroir-based champagnes. After regularly recommending the consistently great value Lanvin label from Champagne Lombard, this was the first time I’d tried a wine from the parent house. Wow, what a wine! Intensity and finesse combine in this 100% chardonnay from some of Champagne’s top Grand Cru vineyards. It’s bone dry and minerally with a taut pink grapefruit character, over subtle notes of breadcrust and nut.

Stockists: $124 from fine wine retailers

5. Champagne Jacquart Mosaique Rosé NV

Salmon pink, the Mosaique Rosé‘s character is as vivid as its hue. From a very fine mousse, notes of apple, redcurrant and cherry emerge, along with a chalky minerality, over a yeasty undercurrent. Made from around 40% chardonnay, 30% t meunier and as much as 18% pinot noir made as red wine for structure. A versatile style that makes a great aperitif but also has the power to pair with dishes from shellfish to more robust fare.

Stockists: $80 from Champagnelady.co.nz

6. Champagne Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs NV

Before 100% chardonnay Champagnes became known as Blanc de Blancs, Perrier-Jouët introduced its all chardonnay cuvées in the 1920s. Almost a century later, this famous Champagne house launched this new expression. Powerful but refined, it blends notes of orchard fruit and apple compote with hints of brioche and a lovely lingering salted almond character on the finish.

Stockists: $120, from Glengarry, Merchant of Taupō, Gilmour’s, The Good Wine Co

7. Champagne Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut NV

A super-stylish fuller-bodied Champagne from a small very high-quality grower in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy. It’s a blanc de noirs made from 100% pinot noir, which provides body, richness and hints of red fruit to the wine, which melds with notes of zesty lemon, green plum, nougat and an aromatic thread of white flowers.

Stockists: $90 from Fine-O-Wine, Black Market, Regional Wines & Spirits, Waiheke Wine Centre, By the Bottle, selected Liquorlands

8. Champagne Assailly Cuvee du Patron Avize Grand Cru Brut NV

While many Champagnes are blends from across the region, the Cuvée du Patron is made from a single vineyard in the Grand Cru Chardonnay village of Avize. This long-established family house has crafted a complex and beautifully balanced wine. Rich notes of apple pastry, clove and vanilla are counterpoised by a fresh and mineral character, all delivered in a fine mousse.

Stockists: $84 from Peter Maude Fine Wines

Pick Of The Pet-Nats

Diversity in sparkling wines available locally has ramped up in recent years with the explosion of pétillant-naturels, which range from fruity quaffers to those with a sophistication to rival méthode traditionelles. Pét-nat for short, these are made using an ancient method that sees the wine bottled while still fermenting. This gives them their softer spritz, spectrum of styles from dry to sweeter, and cloudiness as many pét-nat producers opt to leave the yeast in the bottle. Any grape goes, with a range of varieties and unusual combinations available from the impressive local and international producers in this year’s picks.

1. Marathon Downs Racecourse Block Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Petillant Naturel 2023

Redolent of nettle and green herbs, gooseberry and green fruits, Marathon Downs’ Racecourse Block pet nat exhibits an elegant spectrum of sauvignon characters. Made from its vineyard in the Awatere Valley, it has a great zip of grapefruit, as well as an appealing roundness. One for fans of sauvignon blanc, or pure pet nats in general.

Stockists: $33 Marathondowns.co.nz, By The Bottle, Cahns Wine and Spirits, Tappo, Vic Road Wine Bar and Shop, and Vino Fino

2. Wild Man Astro Bunny Pet Nat, Australia 2021

The wild man behind this fabulously floral fizz is Master of Wine and pét-nat specialist, Tim Wildman. It’s made from an eclectic blend of arneis, Zibbibo, nero d’avola and fiano grapes from different regions across Australia. A cloudy peachy-hued wine, its fruity palate reminiscent of apricot kernel, white fruits and sherbet lemon, is infused with fragrant notes of honeysuckle and lily of the valley.

Stockists: $39 from Barewine.co.nz

3. Greystone North Canterbury Petillant Naturel 2023

Like biting into a juicy apple, this riesling and pinot noir blend exudes mouthwatering freshness. It’s light and pure, with bright citrus and apple fruit, a delicate note of white flowers, along with some minerally complexity. Made with minimal intervention from organic grapes from Greystone’s hillside blocks.

Stockists: $50 from Farro Fresh stores, Fine O Wine Milford, Fine Wine Delivery Company, Herne Bay Cellars

4. Black Estate Home North Canterbury Pet-Nat 2023

Black Estate is one of Aotearoa’s most serious pet-nat producers, in most years making a trio of excellent examples from each of their vineyards. From its Home vineyard, comes this very fine Chenin Blanc pet-nat. There’s a lovely vibrancy to its dry palate that melds peach and fresh citrus fruits with hints of white flowers, beeswax, hazelnut and flint. No additives, fining or filtration have been used in this organic and biodynamic-certified wine.

Stockists: $55 from Blackestate.co.nz, By the Bottle

5. Lise & Bertrand Jousset Exilé Rosé Petillant Vin de France 2022

France has been at the forefront of pet-nat, as the style likely originated there, while the country was the source of its revival. This pretty organic example is made by the rising star partnership of sommelier Lise and viticulturalist Betrand from 30-year-old gamay vines in the Loire region. Made with minimal additions, this is a pure-fruited mid-weight wine brimming with fresh strawberry flavours, with a crunchy green appleskin character, and a hint of gingernut.

Stockists: $48 from By the Bottle

6. Judge Rock Guilty Central Otago Pet Nat 2023

So fresh it feels like drinking fermenting grape juice, this ultra-fruity cloudy pink wine is mouth-filling and brimming with ripe red apple fruit with a touch of strawberry and nectarine. Under all this pure fruit, it’s dry and crisp. Perfect for the poolside.

Stockists: $32 from Judgerock.co.nz, Gladstone wines, Fine o Wine Remuera, Greenhithe Liquor, Grey Lynn Fine Wines, Whitford merchants.

Europop, Bubbles That Won’t Break The Bank

It’s not just France’s Champagne region that makes fantastic fizz in Europe. Elsewhere in the country and cooler regions of the continent, impressive examples are made, most at more affordable prices. These recommendations are great for those looking for cheaper but great quality alternatives to Champagne, and wines you can enjoy over the festive season that won’t break the bank.

1. Monmousseau Crémant de Loire ‘Sans sulfites’ Brut France NV

This sparkling methode traditionnelle from the Loire offers some good complexity and interest from France at a price where you won’t find any Champagne. Made with no added sulphites from chenin blanc, it combines richness in its notes of nut, butter, biscuit and ripe apple, juxtaposed by some nice citrussy freshness.

Stockists: $35 from Maison Vauron, By the Bottle, Point Chevalier Organic Wines, Scenic Cellars, Hamilton Beer & Wine

2. Bandini Prosecco DOC Italy NV

All Prosecco are not created equal. If you like yours dry and sophisticated, then the Bandini will not disappoint. An extra brut from the slopes of Veneto in northeast Italy, there’s some good intensity to its palate of white fruit and melon that leads to a crisp mineral finish. It’s great value too.

Stockists: $21-28 from First Glass Wines and Spirits, The Good Wine Company, Boric Food Market, Cask and Cans Matarangi, Hamilton Wine Company

3. Dibon Cava Brut Seleccion Spain NV

Dibon’s Cava makes my festive list once again as one of the best value bubbles you can buy. What else delivers a méthode traditionnelle wine with some character and complexity just shy of $25. It’s light and fresh with nuances of lemon meringue, apple, delicate honeysuckle florals and a creamy mousse.

Stockists: $25 from Advintage, Farro Fresh, Moore Wilson’s, Wine Central, Blackmarket.co.nz

4. Bibi Graetz Bollamatta Tuscany, Italy Spumante NV 87

Now here’s something different and delicious, a sparkling (spumante) rosé made from 100 per cent sangiovese. Using grapes sourced from 50- to 80-year-old organic vineyards in the variety’s heartland, this minimal intervention wine blends notes of cherries, herb and almond, with a savoury undercurrent and fresh citrussy kick.

Stockists: $60 Peter Maude Fine Wines

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