Valentine’s Day is Coming

Champagne taste doesn’t agree with a state employee and not-for-profit employee’s budget, or at least it didn’t until recently thanks to my local wine store. If you are willing to explore it seems possible to find some quality inexpensive NV bubbly that dances with the taste of a more expensive vintage Champagne. New Years Eve this year saw three bottles in the refrigerator, one for us if company decided to return home and two if the company remained.

Company went home during the day and that left us alone with three bottles—no we didn’t, we weren’t even tempted—but over the next few days we opened one of the two for company. I should have had it for New Year’s Eve, it was quite tasty. The Lucien Albrecht Cremant D'alsace Brut Rosé NV changed my opinion about several properties that included “pink” bubbly.

This is a highly drinkable pink wine that allows the celebration to continue without feeling as if you’ve had too much. This sparkler comes from the Alsace region of France and it’s a 100% Pinot Noir wine with a hint of creamy strawberry, but not sweet, it is a Brut. Those helpful people at the wine cellar suggested drinking this chilled from the flute, or if you’re wandering the streets during a New Year’s Eve celebration, straight from the bottle. (That image seems inappropriate, but that was their suggestion.)

The bubbles are persistent and very fine and the color is a pale pink. I found this an interesting and refreshing bubbly. According to my sources (the local wine store), Cremant means it is a sparkling wine made using the traditional Champagne method. The label states "it is made by the strictest methode traditionnelle and we consider it one of the great specialties of our house."

The bubbles arise from a secondary fermentation process (the methode champenoise) and they use grapes native, in this case, to Alsace which is the Pinot Noir. This is a delightful, but unpretentious sparkling wine. (Note I’m not referring to it as being champagne, but have certainly been thinking about it as Champagne, err, Cremant.) This is fabulous by itself and I anticipate that it will be excellent with cheese, salads, and slightly spicy foods from Vietnam.

On the nose we get hints of summer fruits (cherry, strawberry) with a hint of earthy mineral soil and on the palette, the nose doesn’t cheat us. Mr. Pestyside detected the aroma of yeast. The taste is light, slightly strawberry, but with a slight whisper of must.

It’s inexpensive and a solution for my wish for more champagne; it works for my budget without tasting inexpensive or sacrificing quality. The last thing I want to do is to lower my expectations. Bubbly has become my beverage of choice in the summer. It’s not nearly as carbonated as cheap bubbly or soda water, and definitely tasty.

Generally Veuve, Moet, Pom or others will cost a minimum of $35 but the Lucien Albrecht Cremant D'alsace Brut Rosé NV barely hurt my wallet at $21. Consider exploring beyond the traditional, safe selections. Call around, talk to wine experts in local wine stores. I’ve been quite surprised what’s available for under $25, actually recently some NV selections under $20 have amazed me. NV indicates that it is non-vintage wine made from a blend of two or more years, generally the same grapes. This is commonly done and being a vintage wine isn’t as important in warmer climates. NV wines from prestigious wine producers such as Lucien Albrecht can be trusted to be of good quality.

The Albrecht family has been growing wines since 1425 in the Alsace area of France. They have held prestigious awards for their wines of which this is only one, particularly between 1520 and 1698. In 1972 they began producing the Cremant Rosé and I’ve come to learn that the Albrecht family is highly respected for their well blended, round, soft-bubbled wines.

My New Year’s Resolution includes finding more highly drinkable champagne-style sparkling wines. If in the past month I’ve found three that are under $25 and that are new to me, there must be more. I’m looking for more seriously good, seriously inexpensive, and seriously drinkable sparklers. Valentine’s Day is on the way so remember tiny pink bubbles.