Movia "Puro" Sparkling Rosé , 2000

Once in awhile, a wine reaches me as if by fate. Chosen almost at random, it leaves my palate stunned, regardless of its price or country of origin. Wine of this sort is often biodynamic: made by passionate, independent producers working in communion with their land, with the cycles of the local ecosystem. When I drink it, I know that I am tasting the toil of dedicated farmers, as well as the purest expression of a grape and its terroir. Again, this only happens once in a great while, and the wine could be from anywhere - France, Argentina, even the United States: New York and Oregon have both delivered in this regard.

Recently, another such momentous wine crossed the lens of my attention. Yesterday I had the great pleasure of disgorging and drinking a bottle of 2000 Movia "Puro," a sparkling rosé of Pinot Noir produced by renowned winemaker Aleš Kristancic in Slovenia. I strongly encourage readers to learn more about his winemaking philosophy here. This was the first sparkling wine I have disgorged, and may well be the only opportunity for me to do this - it is not a common procedure outside of a winery.

Disgorging is the process of removing a plug of yeast from the neck of the bottle; although this wine is made in the méthode Champenoise, the lees are not expelled before bottling, but rather must be removed by the lucky buyer. This is accomplished by (if you are lacking in liquid nitrogen, as I was) keeping the bottle's neck upended in a bowl of ice water and salt for 30-45 minutes, removing the wire and cork underwater, and then quickly righting the bottle to keep the wine from spilling into the bowl with the yeast - keeping in mind that the contents are under pressure. I was fortunate: on my first try I managed to keep almost all the wine, perfectly removing the yeast at the cost of under half a glass of bubbly.

And once the wine is poured? It shows cloudy in the glass due to lack of filtration and the suspension of remaining lees; however, it has a nice salmon tone, with an elegant bead. The nose is bursting with aromas of red apples, strawberries, and animal musk marked by undertones of stony earth. As the wine develops in the glass, the aromas lose some of their muskiness and become more reminiscent of ripe apples and cherry notes and a touch of toast. In the mouth, this wine has zippy acidity backing the berry fruit, with a nice roundness from extended lees contact. Although it normally retails for $45, I managed to obtain this wine for $30, making it (thankfully) eligible for this forum. It went beautifully with homemade salmon avocado sushi rolls, but I would drink this wine carefully, on its own.

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava, NV

Everybody loves a good Champagne. I would crack open a bottle of Bollinger, Pol Roger, or Mumms on almost any occasion, if I could spend the money required to have Champagne on hand at all times. Lacking said funds, I still manage to have great sparkling wine whenever the need - or the urge - arises. Here is the reason: Cava, the Spanish Champagne, made in the méthode champenoise, with secondary fermentation occurring in the bottle, followed by further bottle aging for complexity. Not only is it delicious in its own right, but for some reason Cava tends to exhibit similar flavor characteristics and texture despite its totally different origins, in terms of both terroir and grape varietals. It is blended from Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo, all indigenous to the Penedès region.

The mesoclimate in Penedès is far more clement than Champagne, as well. While both wines share an essence that I find hard to identify at this point in my career as a wine drinker, I find that Cava does tend to lack the complexity and depth of great Champagne, across all price points, but is a delicious replacement, however, and one I always turn to when appropriate. It tends to be a solid accompaniment to seafood of all kinds, particularly shellfish and fried fish, and is a perfect celebration wine or aperitif for people living on the cheap - although its growing popularity may well undermine its value.

The Segura Viudas Brut Reserva is a pale gold in the glass, and on the nose exhibits great stony citrus fruit, with hints of smoke and toasty vanilla, leading to more lemon and apple fruit in the mouth, and a mouthfeel that is at once rich and extremely clean, with crisp acidity leading to a finish laden with minerals. Fantastic with grilled shrimp in a lime-based marinade, or fresh oysters, or just by itself. Buy a case, because you can find this wine for $7 a bottle if you look hard enough.

Mercier Brut Champagne, NV

While in France this April, we visited the caves of Mercier, one of the great producers, but apparently not so well known as some of the other producers from the region, like Bollinger, or Krug. They have over 230 hectares of vineyards, however, all on chalky sub-soil, and produce some very fine wine. Over 50 cuvees go into the final blend for this Brut, and it shows in the complexity of the final product. We opened our last half bottle recently, and what follows are my tasting notes.

A pale straw in the glass, with a glorious mousse, leading to zesty aromas of green apple and pear paired to a richly toasted element, like bread that has just been baked. Great acidity, crisp and biting, balanced to the bright fruit. This is not shy wine. The finish is also long and refreshing. Drink this on any occasion, but especially with oyster gratin, or lightly battered clams. $18.

Terra Sparkling Malbec, Mendoza, 2008

It is summer. You and some friends are playing Ultimate in the park at midday. Trees, paths and grass are all damp from yesterday's rain, but it's hot now, naturally. All around, the smell of cooking meat, barbecue sauce, and perfectly roasted fennel, onions and tomatoes wafts from multiple grills. Someone calls a stop to the game of frisbee, maybe you, and opens a bottle of... what? Many things will do, but what for this occasion?

Enter the 2008 Terra Sparkling Malbec, produced in Mendoza in Argentina, a deep liquid ruby swirl in the glass. Loaded with blueberries and blackberries on the nose, leading to more rich black fruit and currants in the mouth with hints of black pepper and earth. The delicate perlage is reminiscent of a fine Champagne, backed by silky tannins culminating in a clean finish. Terra makes a great aperitif, and pairs with hors d'oeuvres, roast pork, or roast chicken, but I would bring out bigger guns (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah) for heavier meats or real barbecue. $10.

Medici Ermete Solo Reggiano Lambrusco, 2007

What do you need when it is time to do battle with a huge platter of cold cuts? That's right. You pour a glass of Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine made from the varietal of the same name in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Lambrusco is frothy, meant to be drunk young, and absolutely perfect for salami, pizza, or hearty meat sauce pasta dishes.

Although sparkling, Lambrusco is rarely made in the méthode Champenoise, but is instead created using the Charmat process, where a second fermentation is conducted in a pressurized tank. As a result of an inundation of cheap Lambrusco in the 1970's, expectations for this wine are generally quite low. However, some artisan wines are produced, although they are hard to find. This particular bottling, the 2007 Medici Ermete Solo Reggiano "Le Tenute," is one of those, showing a dry frizzante brimming with rich blackberry and floral notes on the nose, followed by more cherry and strawberry fruit and a distinct earthiness in the mouth, balanced to ripe tannins and beautiful acidity. Balanced, fun, and possessed of mild minerality, this wine finishes clean and bright. $14.

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne

Made in the Blanc de Blancs tradition, exclusively from the Chardonnay grape, this nonvintage Champagne is perhaps the best of its kind I've acquired. Normally this wine retails at around $46 for a half (375 mL) bottle, but I obtained it at a bargain that makes it eligible for this forum.

In the clear glass bottle, apparently a replica from an 18th Century model, the wine is a pale golden color, almost a straw gold, with unmatched brilliance - like afternoon summer light on water. The nose shows slight citrus fruits, especially lime, but is balanced with notes of honey, and a full nutty toastiness that I just love in new style Champagne. This wine is extremely elegant on the palate, but with firm acidity, a creamy backdrop showing more nutty richness and round fruit. Unbelievable finish, one that lingers.

I would drink this pensively.