Bubbles: Here’s a Great Sparkling Wine From Mendoza

When is a sparkling wine not a great idea? I am of like mind with Churchill when it comes to the wondrous creation. “I could not live without Champagne. In victory I deserve it. In defeat I need it.” I always have a good roster of sparkling in my Eurocave, and ample ice to chill a bottle when the time comes.

A few weeks ago, I received a selection of wines from a distributor, and among them was a bottle from Bodega Valentin Bianchi , a brut that punches well above its weight when one considers it can be found for around $22.

This sparkling wine from Argentina is a great and delicious value.

If you’re looking for bubbles for your next party or gathering, this one should definitely be on your shopping list. It’s 62 percent Chardonnay, 33 percent Pinot Noir, 5 percent Viognier, and has a lovely golden straw hue. On the nose, it’s delicate, and will have you thinking stone fruit and melon. A first taste provides a refreshing brightness that slides into toast and almond. We drank this on its own, but I would not be disappointed if it was served with goat cheese and bread.

Bodegas Valentin Bianchi was founded in 1928, and is now in the hands of the family’s fourth generation. The grapes here come from Bianchi’s Dona Elsa Estate and Las Parades Estate, situated in the San Rafael DOC of Mendoza at 2,400 to 2,600 feet above sea level. The sparkling is made in the traditional Champenoise method, and is aged for one year in the bottles.

Want more wine and spirits? Check out these stories I wrote for PaperCity.