Holiday parties are well underway and you may also be wondering which sparkling wines to enjoy at home with family. Here are two BC wines that you could consider. One wine is made with the Charmat method (i.e. like prosecco) while the other is made with the Traditional Method, like Champagne. Let me tell you about these sparkling wines.
High Note Estate Winery Patter Brut 2022 (BC $30)
From the winery, “A blend of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Merlot from our estate vineyards in the South Okanagan…Patter is about precision, each note exactly where it should be. The songs are intricate and fast-paced, following the natural ebb and flow of speech. Lively and finessed, our Patter Brut dances across the palate with persistent, elegant bubbles in quick succession. Made in the Cuvée Close method (MWP: Charmat), the emphasis is squarely on the fruit – the performance – with generous notes of apple blossom, lemon, and red berries.”
Appearance: A clear, medium lemon colour.
Nose: Medium-intensity aromas of apples with a touch of lees.
Palate: Dry, medium-plus body and flavour intensity. A thicker, round mouthfeel. Light toast, stone fruit, pears, apples, and apple skin flavours. It has medium-sized creamy bubbles. Pepperiness toward the finish.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing with light bubbles, stone fruit flavours and some pepperiness.
Rating: 
Township 7 seven stars Vega Sparkling Wine 2021 (BC $36.97)
Made in the Methode Traditional style from Viognier grapes. I think that this is the first sparkling Viognier that I have ever tasted from BC. From the winery, “A single vineyard wine, it is made with Viognier from Fool’s Gold Vineyard in north Oliver. Sustainably managed, the vineyard is owned by Mark Antonello a well-known vineyard manager, and was planted by his father-in-law Richard Cleave, one of the Okanagan’s most renowned viticulturists. An ideal site, it slopes to the west to take full advantage of afternoon sun. The sandy, clay loam soil is strewn with rocks and gravel, providing excellent drainage…The grapes are picked with high natural acidity, which is maintained throughout the time in bottle. The wine was left en tirage for 12 months to ensure the bright aromatics of this classic Rhône variety were retained, along with the development of some rich and creamy autolytic characteristics. After riddling we disgorged this wine and added our winemaker’s proprietary dosage to further develop character and aromas.”
Appearance: A medium-minus intensity, clear straw colour. A quite bubbly appearance when you swirl the glass.
Nose: Medium-intensity aromas of apples and toast.
Palate: This wine is dry, with a medium body, and pronounced flavours. Round mouthfeel. Light creamy bubbles. Higher acidity. Stone fruit flavours along with touches of toast and roasted apples.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing with citrus, stone fruits, toast, apples, and a touch of bitterness.
Rating:
I enjoyed both of these wines with roasted nuts as well as goat cheese on crisps.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
Both wines are available for purchase at their respective winery websites. You should order ASAP if you want to have the wines for the holidays.