Champagne Veuve Clicquot and Nicolas Feuillatte

Happy New Year’s Eve! If there’s any day out of the year that calls for sparkling wine, this is it! In fact it’s even National Champagne Day — whatever that means! Sparkling wine is made in every wine region of the world– and since wine is made in every state in the union, I bet you can find a sparkling wine made everywhere in the US also– and one for every budget!

rockfish and cava from Spain

In 2024, we published MANY articles featuring sparkling wines and pairings! (I knew we like to write about sparkling wine, but wow, so many!) In review, here are some ideas for you– sparkling wines from around the world and the foods we enjoyed with them!

Albert Bichot Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Réserve from France

• Pinot Meunier Specialists Vincent d’Astrée Champagne Brut NV Premier Cru + Holiday Pairings
• Sekt Means Sparkling in German: 2013 Raumland Cuvee Marie Luise Brut Means Fondue Fun and Small Bites– Clink Different!
• 4 Italian Wines for Thanksgiving: Pairing Prosecco, Chardonnay, Barolo, Passito with a coursed meal
• Champagne Day 2024 with a Couple of Seniors: La Grande Dame b. 1979 and Nicolas Feuillatte b. 2005
• How to Do a Wine and Cheese Tasting to Celebrate Wine and Cheese Day! Plus Pairings and A Recipe for Grilled Peach Burrata Crostini
• Captivating Cava: Juvé & Camps Reserva de la Familia Brut Nature with grilled oysters and rockfish for #CAVADAY
• For Sparkling Wine Week, Pair Albert Bichot Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Réserve with smoked deviled eggs and potato chips
• Prosecco DOC Week: Tasting in the Dark with Hoby Wedler and Popping the Cork with Valdo Marca Oro

Frey Totality Blanc de Blancs, Sierra Foothills, California

• Totality: An Eclipse Paired with Wine and Mendocino’s Biodynamic Frey Vineyards Family
• 4 Wine Women of the World and 4 of Their White Wines Paired with Shrimp and Chicken Penne #WomensHistoryMonth
• Ventura Visit With Wildflower Winery’s Winemaker Natalie Albertson in Women’s History Month
• Legacy of Madame Pommery, Mother-Daughter Duo Nathalie and Pauline Vranken: On #InternationalWomensDay, Drink Champagne Pommery with Pate + Brie

PN Pet Nat from Clos des Amis winemaker Bruce Freeman in Southern California

• Open That Bottle Night: Clos des Amis 2009 Pinot Noir Pet Nat “Shiner” + Sangio with Osso Bucco
• A Dozen Rosés for Valentines and Galentines Part 1: 6 Old World Wines + Croque-Monsieur #WinePW
• Garagiste Festival Returns to Solvang Feb 9-10 to Benefit Cal Poly Scholarships + A Steinbeck Sparkler

Valdo “Marca Oro” Prosecco DOC Brut, Italy

Lately I’ve been enjoying Black Girl Magic Sparkling Pinot Noir from New Zealand. With an SRP of $25, I found it on sale for about $6 at Grocery Outlet and now it’s under $5 at my local Trader Joe’s. It’s a bit on the sweet side, but we’ve found it works great with beet salad, ham, and other dishes that are also on the sweet side, and it makes for a fabulous sparkling wine cocktail or aperitivo. 

Sparkling wine in Alentejo, Portugal at Adega Mayor

So Happy New Year! What will you be drinking tonight? 

I’ll be popping open a bottle of Vincent d’Astrée Champagne Brut NV Premier Cru which we’ll be pairing with King Crab Legs! 

Cheers! See you in 2025 with a round up of our Top 10 favorite pairings and posts from 2024!