Bubbles are big business in B.C. There are now more than 40 wineries across the province producing sparkling wines from the Okanagan to the Gulf Islands. We all love local here in Vancouver, so why not support one of our wineries over the holidays and drink some beautiful B.C. bubbles instead of the usual cava, prosecco or champagne? I promise: if you’ve never tried B.C. sparkling wines, you’re in for a treat.
I spoke with all-round wine genius, Dave Stansfield, sommelier for Tap & Barrel restaurants and Vancouver Urban Winery to get a handy B.C. sparkling wine 101.
BCL: Why are sparkling B.C. wines so popular?
DS: I guess bubbles are just awesome and super delicious! Seriously though, climatically, sparkling wines work well in B.C. as you need a cooler climate which creates a higher acidity, which sparkling wines need—especially if you make them with the traditional method of a second fermentation in the bottle.
It’s a global trend to drink more bubbles now, as people have realized that we can have beautiful sparkling wines every day, it doesn’t have to be your birthday or a special occasion. The behind-the-scenes reason that bubbles are on the rise is due to the improvement of technology to make good ‘tank method’ bubbles, like how prosecco is made.
BCL: How do sparkling wines get their fizz?
DS: Basically there are three main ways of making sparkling wines. At the high end, you have the traditional method, which is how champagne is made. This is done inside the bottle and the bubbles occur from the second fermentation.
At the low end of the scale, you have wine in a tank which you add bubbles to through forced carbonation, like Baby Duck.
In the middle, you have the charmat method, which has a second fermentation in a pressurized tank; it’s halfway between those two methods and you get a good natural bubble, but it’s more affordable and makes for easy drinking. That technology is now more accessible than it’s ever been and these wines are a great price for everyday sparkling wines for the everyday consumer.
So now that you're all set with your basic bubble knowledge, click through for nine fantastic B.C. fizzes guaranteed to make any occasion sparkle...
The Best of the Best B.C. Bubbly
Nikki Bayley is an award-winning travel writer, guide book author and spirits and cocktail journalist whose work appears in National Geographic Traveller, The Globe and Mail and the Difford’s Guide. A cheese fan, hula hooper and all-round word nerd, she writes regularly for BCLiving about food, drink, spas and everything else that makes life worth living.
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