5 Local Sparkling Wines for Celebrating
Image: courtesy the winemakers
Champagne might get all the attention, but we Oregonians know that our sparkling wine can be just as refined and rich in character. (Champagne is a type of sparkling wine.) If you’re looking to ring in the new year with a local vibe, here are a few sparkling wines we recommend.
Perfect for a Cocktail Party and a Budget
This is a dry sparkling wine with all the same grapes as real-deal Champagne, with similar biscuity flavors that you’d pay big bucks for in France. If you’re donning classic cocktail attire, we think this is an ideal choice that would go well with the likes of cheese, caviar, and oysters.
Price Tag: Under $30 per bottle
Pair It with Shrimp Cocktail
These vibrant, vigorous bubbles are seeped with bright flavors of lemon peel, and upon further sipping, you might discern notes of apricot or melon. Thanks to its acidity, we’d pair it with shrimp cocktail or fatty roast duck.
Price Tag: $60 per bottle
Go Avant Garde
Coming from a rare Oregon all-sparkling winery that’ll soon have its own estate, this bottle is intensely flavorful with old-vine chardonnay and pinot noir, and touches of ginger and pineapple.
Price Tag: $60 per bottle
Be Popular and Pink (and Thrifty)
With its crown cap, cheery pink color, and polka dot–adorned bottle, this rosé of Gamay is casual-cool and a great pick for parties. It's easy to drink a lot of, and the price tag is the least forbidding of the bunch.
Price Tag: $27 per bottle
Splurge on This Top-Ranked Rosé
This rosé is fruity and flavorful, with an aroma of strawberry candy that’s balanced out with fresh acidity, plus just a touch of almondy, biscuit-like flavor to round it out. It’s easy to see why Wine Enthusiast rated it one of its top 100 wines of 2023, ranking at no. 49—but it’s also the most expensive of our picks.
Price Tag: $75 per bottle
