All the More Reason to Celebrate: Sparkling Wines Going Green

Terra Savia's Blanc de Blanc, $23

Tis the season to raise a glass of the bubbly, so I am rerunning this post (originally published in the spring of 2011).

Celebrating with a glass of "green champagne" is getting easier.

I counted up the number of producers offering organic bubbly this week and came up with 8 current vintages (with more on the way).

Mendocino, the greenest wine region, currently leads the pack with a total of six - count 'em - six CCOF certified "made with organic grapes" sparkling wines:

Sparkling Whites

1. 2006 Blanc de Blanc, Terra
Savia, organic, $23 (usually available at Whole Foods)
2. Brut, McFadden, $25

3. NV Brut, Paul Dolan, organic, $27.99
4. 2005 Brut, Jeriko Estate, organic, $38.95

Sparkling Rose's

5. 2005 Brut Rose, Jeriko Estate, organic, $48.95
6. 2006 Brut Rose, Handley Cellars, $40

Russian River and Napa

Other organic sparkling wines from California include:

1. Organic Brut, Korbel, organic,  $15 (Russian River)
2. 2007 Rose Cuvee de la Pompadour, Domaine Carneros, organic, $36 (Carneros)

Newer vintages from Domaine Carneros (starting with 2010) will be organic.

McFadden Sparkling Brut Now Back!

It was sold out for a long time, but now it's back - McFadden's just released its Sparkling Brut for this year...$25 a bottle. Last year's won a gold medal at the Mendocino County Wine Competition, competing against some heavy hitters, so let's hope this years is just as good.

The Mendocino County Wine Competition will be held in a few weeks, so we'll find out soon.

In the meantime, I'm not taking any chances: I've ordered up a case.