Hot Sheets

If you are looking for something inexpensive and bubbly for any festive occasion, then get in on this perennial Cellar Door favorite. For many years we have tried sparkling wines in this price point, and especially in Cava where there is this stupid battle going on at this price point. As we continually mention, we prefer to use wines from real farmers, real people who are using real grapes that are cared for and loved…all which makes superior wines.

This deliciously-priced and flavorful fizz has been produced by the Tetas family for 150 years. Made with Parellada, Xar.rello and Macabeo, these are the grapes that SHOULD be used in Cava, not Chardonnay!! Aromas of apple, citrus skin, and a touch of nutmeg; in the mouth it is bone-dry with sneaky creaminess and a bursting long finish. Simply put this is a terrific bottle of sparkling wine that must be tasted to be believed! Drink with hors d'oeuvres and friends. Yum, yum, gimme some!

Sorelle Branco is a small, award-winning estate run by 2 sisters (Antonella and Ersiliana Branco) and they go to expensive, painstaking lengths to produce Prosecco of the highest quality. After tasting, I really saw why this estate is so highly touted within the Italian wine media. Not only is this a beautiful wine to taste, its myriad of tiny bubbles are impressive to gawk at.

Alluring scents of wildflowers, pears, apples and gently placed mineral shimmer from the glass; the texture is energetic, brisk, fruit driven and intense, yet the bubbles are some of the most finesseful and silky I've ever experienced in an Italian bubbly. Beautifully complex and way too classy to be tossed into a Bellini, it's a perfect starter for any dinner.