Sparkling-Wine Finds for $10 to $20

I’ve kept an eye out for sparkling wine from Luxembourg ever since, and the country was top of mind recently when I set out in search of sparkling wines from unexpected places. What better way to usher in a new year than with bubblies new to me and to most readers? I uncovered 14 bottles produced in places wine drinkers don’t often go looking for something sparkling. Instead of Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain or Champagne from France, I opted for a sparkling Grüner Veltliner from Austria, a sparkling Chardonnay blend from Germany, and sparkling rosés from Argentina, Australia and South Africa, among others.

All the wines I selected were reasonably priced—between $10 and $20 a bottle—and the majority were surprisingly good. Indeed, only three were wines I’d never want to drink again, and I’ll list them first to get the bad news out front. The flavorless Dos Almas Brut ($10) from Chile’s Casablanca Valley was far from the “enchanting sparkling wine” described on its back label. Ditto two Argentine sparklers: the bitter La Mascota Extra Brut Rosé ($15) and the Empezar Brut ($10), which was just fizz—more like Argentine seltzer than the festive sparkling wine I’d hoped to find.

An Argentine bubbly I did like, the Santa Julia Brut Rosé Mendoza ($10) from the well-known Zuccardi estate, was soft and fruity with notes of red fruit. It wasn’t complex, but it was certainly delicious, and at that price I’d definitely buy it again. In fact, I did buy it again the week after purchasing the first bottle, albeit by accident.

Bottle number one of Santa Julia Brut Rosé bore a white label, but in another store I found a bottle with a black label. I figured they were different cuvées, but it turned out the wines were simply bottled in different years. The black-label wine was from 2019, the white-label one from 2020. The latter was much fresher—the first instance I can think of where I’ve preferred anything from the year 2020 over something from 2019.

The next several wines I tasted were equally good. The Szigeti Grüner Veltliner ($20), from an Austrian producer specializing in Champagne-method sparkling wine, was crisp and elegant. While Szigeti makes sparkling wines from various grapes, this Grüner is particularly important for the American market, noted Markus Stiegler, the winery’s key account manager. Grüner happens to be a grape already well known and loved in the U.S.

A few decades ago, Americans drank a lot more of the German sparkling wine Henkell Brut ($10) than they do now, according to Enore Ceola, CEO of Freixenet Mionetto USA (purchased by Henkell in 2008). Distribution issues in recent years have made the Henkell Brut harder to find here. Freixenet Mionetto USA, meanwhile—which imports Mionetto Prosecco, one of the bestselling Proseccos in the U.S.—has far eclipsed its parent label stateside. But Mr. Ceola hopes for a Henkell revival. The Henkell taste profile is light, crisp and very dry. I found it to be an attractive aperitif, one I suspect would appeal to Prosecco fans.

While Henkell sets its sights on an American comeback, producers in other countries little known for their sparklers are seeing new possibilities stateside. After exporting sparkling wines to the U.S. for more than 15 years, South African label Graham Beck is gaining traction. Cellarmaster Pieter Ferreira noted that sales are growing for the Graham Beck non-vintage Brut as well as the lush, fruity non-vintage Brut Rosé ($20) that I bought and liked. Mr. Ferreira expects the U.S. to be his winery’s most important export market next year. (It’s currently number two.)

Australia’s sparkling wine profile is quite small, save, perhaps, for the odd bottle of sparkling Shiraz. And I mean odd in both senses of the word. A sweetish but tannic sparkling red is a strange drink for most wine drinkers, including this columnist. Too tannic for an aperitif, too fizzy to drink through a meal and kind of fruity-meets-meaty, the Chook Sparkling Shiraz ($15) was a puzzle I couldn’t solve. But the two Australian dry sparkling rosés I tried—the Jansz Premium Rosé ($20) from Tasmania and the 2019 Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé ($17) from Adelaide Hills—were much easier to drink and to enjoy.

The Jansz label was launched in 1986 as a partnership between French Champagne house Louis Roederer and Heemskerk Wines of Australia. In 1998 Jansz was purchased by its current owners, the Hill-Smith family. The Jansz Premium Rosé Tasmania is quite dry, even a bit austere—certainly more serious than the juicy, lively Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé. The latter was first exported to the U.S. in 2015, and that’s about all the information I was able to extract from the winery’s contact. (The Bird in Hand website is incredibly vague, its Instagram account crowded with images of beautiful people but short on facts about the wine or the producer.)

Having found and liked so many sparkling wines from unlikely locations, still I pined for a Luxembourg sparkler. When I emailed one of the country’s largest producers, Bernard-Massard, to ask if the wines were sold in the U.S., I initially received no reply. Then, a week after I finished tasting the other wines for this column, Bernard-Massard CEO Antoine Clasen sent me a long, descriptive email detailing the history of his company as well as that of Luxembourg sparkling wine, beginning over 100 years ago with a man named Jean Bernard-Massard, who came home to Luxembourg after working in Champagne, France.

Mr. Clasen sent me the name of his importer, who in turn suggested I reach out to Patrick Desai, manager of Embassy Wines & Spirits in New York. Mr. Desai didn’t have any Luxembourg wine in the store at the moment, but he told me he was planning to restock. The Bernard-Massard Cuvée de l’Ecusson Brut ($20) had sold well in 2019, he said, “even to people who couldn’t find Luxembourg on a map.”

I had to file this column before the bottle arrived, so my thoughts on that particular wine will have to wait. But at last I’ve tracked down a Luxembourg sparkling wine on this side of the Atlantic, and for now that is enough. Stay tuned and happiest of holidays!

OENOFILE / A SPARKLING LESS ORDINARY

1. Henkell Brut Germany, $10

This very light-bodied, very dry sparkling wine is “a French cuvée blended with German craftsmanship,” according to a company spokesperson, made from Chardonnay and other “secret” grape varieties. I call it a perfect aperitif.

2. Santa Julia Brut Rosé Mendoza Argentina, $10

The Zuccardi family made their name in Mendoza with Malbec, but they also turn out this very appealing Pinot Noir-based sparkler. It’s a soft but lively wine marked by delicate notes of red fruit.

3. Grüner Veltliner Brut Non Vintage Austria, $20

The Szigeti brothers began producing serious Champagne-method sparkling wine in Austria 30 years ago. This sparkling Grüner Veltliner is a flagship. The style is crisp and elegant with a savory note.

4. 2019 Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé Adelaide Hills Australia, $17

One of the best known wines from this winery in the cool-climate Adelaide Hills region, this sparkling Pinot Noir is fresh and juicy, very pink, attractively packaged and easy to drink.

5. Graham Beck Rosé Brut Non Vintage Western Cape South Africa, $20

A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this wine is a lush, creamy and rather fruity sparkling rosé that will pair easily with a range of dishes.

Write to Lettie at [email protected]

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