Photographer: Duane Tinkey
“I love bubbles,” says Jared Giunta, general manager and sommelier at Proof restaurant. “People often think that the best bubbles come at a lofty price and feel like only great bubbles come from Champagne. Granted, there is truly no peer to the best Champagne, but to scoff at the offerings from Napa, Spain and Tanzania is a sin.”
So as we enter this celebratory season, take heart that you don’t need to spend a lot to sip on stellar sparkling wine. And know that your options go far beyond Champagne. (Psst … it can only have a capital C if it is grown in the Champagne region of France. Spain’s Cava and Italy’s Prosecco, for example, are sparkling wines.)
When was the last time you cracked open a bottle of bubbly on a Tuesday, just because?
“Sparkling wine does not need to be expensive or reserved for a special occasion,” Giunta says. “Bubbles are simply the most apt aperitif in the world.”
Stock up on Giunta’s favorite affordable sparkling wines to share as host gifts or to ring in 2020—then revisit them early and often all year long (prices are approximate as of press time):
Mestres 1312 NV cava
($20; Gateway Market, 2002 Woodland Ave.)
Gloria Ferrar Blanc de Noir NV
($24; Hy-Vee, various locations across the metro)
Jean Laurent NV Blanc de Noir
($38; Ingersoll Wine and Spirits, 1300 50th St., West Des Moines)
—Karla Walsh
