Celebrating with sparkling wine? Try a California brut

Sparkling wine, in one form or another, is the answer to all of these questions.

It could be Champagne from France, Cava from Spain (especially a pinot noir-based Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs), spumante or prosecco from Italy, Sekt from Germany or Cremant from France's Burgundy and Alsace regions.

The sparkler, too, could come from this country.

"I'll tell you something that's overlooked," said Jeff Auman, owner of The Wine Cellar on Walmart Way in Midlothian. "There are some really nice sparkling wines coming out of California that are competing very well with the French Champagnes.

"My favorite California sparkler is Scharffenberger Brut from the Anderson Valley. It is very dry and full-bodied, like Champagne.

"It is yeasty with . . . bright, crisp fruit. Two-thirds pinot noir is what drives the full-bodied style with Golden Delicious apple, yeast and lots of citrus. This is California's answer to French Champagne."

The Scharffenberger ($22.95) has another strong selling point.

"It sells for half of a comparable French Champagne," Auman said. "It is a great value."

And the reason for the price difference?

"It is cheaper partly because of shipping and import costs, but the French just charge a lot more for Champagne."

Sparkling wines get that sparkle because fermentation doesn't stop with the first one in the barrel.

"The only true sparkling wines have that second bottle fermentation that gives it the bubbles," Auman said. "Bubble size is very important. The higher the quality, the smaller the bubbles. High-quality small bubbles will not give the headaches of cheap big-bubble sparklers."

And the word Brut?

"Brut is the traditional dry style," Auman said. "I think Brut is the best dryness in sparkling wines. It is the best for food pairing. The sweeter ones are for those who do not like dry wines or for pairing with sweet foods or dessert."

Generally, what would sparkling wines go with?

"Sparkling wines are great with food, from shellfish to appetizers to holiday dinners. I had sparkling wine with my Thanksgiving dinner. One of the best pairings I have tasted was with butternut soup. They are also very good just by themselves."

Auman has other tips about the sparklers.