Texas is establishing a name for itself with a growing abundance of Texas Sparkling wines. Ring in the New Year a week from this Wednesday evening with one or several out of a herd of Texas Sparkling Wines. Sparkling wines are made all over the world, with the Champagne region of France having the largest concentration of wineries making Champagne Sparkling Wines. That’s probably because that is where it originated with a French Benedictine monk by the name of Dom Perignon in the late 1600’s. It is the only area where their sparkling wines can be legally called “CHAMPAGNE.” Trade laws prohibit calling sparkling wines made in Texas “Champagne.” The Benedictine Monks have various monasteries so this “method champenoise” created by Dom Perignon was passed from Monastery to Monastery. This method of making sparkling wine requires a secondary fermentation in the wine bottle to create the bubbles of CO2 gas. We call these bubbly wines in Texas, California, and Australia “sparkling wines.” Sparkling wines in Spain are called Cava while Italy labels their sparkling wines as either Prosecco or Asti Spumante. Several wineries in the greater Houston area make sparkling wines.
Whistling Duck Winery near Weimar produces a sparkling wine with the simple name of Texas Sparkler and is similar to a Prosecco sparkling wine from Italy, but it uses Blanc du Bois grapes. This light bubbly will run you $25.00 per bottle at the winery.
Messina Hof Winery in Bryan has released four Texas Sparklers. Their sparkling wines include Sparkling Rose’, Sparkling Almond, Sparkling Brut, and Sparkling Moscato which are available at Messina Hof Winery in Bryan for $25 or less a bottle. The Sparkling Almond Wine is a demi-sec sparkling wine (33-50 grams of sugar per liter of wine) with a delicate almond flavor layered over impressions of green apple and toasted vanilla. This Sparkling Almond Wine recently earned a Double Gold Medal in the Houston Rodeo Uncorked International Wine Competition. The Rose Sparkling is a crisp refreshing sparkling wine with strawberry, pomegranate, and cranberry. The Sparkling Moscato is a delightfully sweet white sparkler with flavors of nectarine and orange peel that are lively and a refreshing change from the traditional Brut. Second generation Paul Bonarrigo would also be happy to autograph your bottles of wine.
McPherson Cellars Sparkling Wine consists of 100% Texas grown Chenin Blanc which give this Sparkling wine a bright acidity and a delicate sweetness. The winery and vineyards are located on the Texas High Plains. This wine retails for around $28 a bottle at a few HEB Grocery Stores.
William Chris winery in Hye in the Texas Hill Country has a unique rose’ sparkler called Petillanti Natural Rose and retails at the winery for around $25.00 per bottle. This wine has a crimped metal cap closure and retails only at the winery near Fredericksburg. This product is in limited supply.
Whatever your pleasure of beverage for New Year’s Eve, please drink responsibly or have a designated driver. May you have a Blessed New Year filled with friends, love, joy, peace, health, and wealth.
Next week we will look into predictions for the Texas Winer Industry in 2020.
