Whether you’re looking for the perfect bubbly for New Year’s Eve festivities or your next holiday party, these sparkling wines are top picks.
Champagne is well and good (ok, it’s great), but there’s nothing like celebrating with a stellar glass of Hudson Valley-made wine. So, whether it’s for holiday celebrations, the new year, a birthday party, an anniversary, or any other special occasion, skip the standard bubbly and pour a local glass of sparkling wine instead. How’s that for sweet sipping?
Domaine Bourmont
Brimstone Hill Winery, Pine Bush
Brimstone Hill bottles a stunner in this Domaine Bourmont. The dry sparkling wine is made according to the “methode champenoise,” a more extensive wine-making process that requires a wine to go through a second fermentation to produce the bubbles that make the vino sparkle just right. Understandably, it’s an ideal one to crack open for celebrations.
Carpe Diem
Brotherhood Winery, Washingtonville
For sparkling wine lovers in the Hudson Valley, Brotherhood is a real treat. While the Washingtonville winery produces a number of sparkling vinos, our pick for special occasions is Carpe Diem, a.k.a. Seize the Day. An Asti Spumante, this Italian-style wine is made from Moscato grapes to produce a wine that is naturally fruity and perfectly sweet. If you love champagne but want something sweeter, this is a top pick.
2022 Proceedo White
Milea Estate Vineyard, Staatsburg
Made 100 percent from pinot noir grapes, this vino is the result of Milea’s winemaking team gently pressing the grapes to extract the juice rapidly from the skins, leaving the final product with minimal color. The 2022 Proceedo White is fermented in stainless steel tanks, and it remains there for four months prior to bottling. The aromas of apples, pears, and a slight hint of biscuit are complemented by small and light bubbles.
2021 Brut Proprietor’s Special Reserve
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, Millbrook
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery produces vinos that run the gamut from reds to whites (and more!). However, when you’re in the mood for something special, pop open the 2021 Brut Proprietor’s Special Reserve. As the name hints, the wine is made using the methode champenoise. Flavor notes include lime, apricot, fresh herbs, orange candy, and ginger. To finish, undertones of sourdough and minerals make this a particularly wonderful libation.
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2020 The Sparkling Queen
Tousey Winery, Germantown
Anyone who prefers their bubbly on the drier side will want to check out this Tousey Winery hit. The Sparkling Queen is an off-dry sparkling wine that embraces notes of melon, with a tasteful balance of acidity and a wonderfully clean finish.
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