As you may know, Toronto's World MasterCard Fashion Week begins Monday. I have been assured by my editors that the chichi crowd descending on the city will be working up a thirst for sparkling wine, so I'm leading the reviews below with a few good bubblies (before getting to some fine reds for the rest of us). This also seems like a good week to tell you most of what I know about fashion, which amounts to the story of a purse and its connection to Champagne.
It's called the Chanel 2.55 bag, an icon of design and a very expensive place in which to store Tic Tacs and lose your car keys. Originally conceived by Coco Chanel in the 1930s, it was famously reissued in February, 1955, hence the odd numerical name, and sells for several thousand dollars. Originals have traded hands for as much as six figures.
A simple leather rectangle with a locking flap, it was revolutionary for its shiny chain-link strap, which permitted the owner to sling it off her shoulder rather than clutch it like a football as was the norm for handbags back in the day. This freed the upper limbs for more important things.
According to legend, one of those important things in Chanel's view was sipping Champagne while shaking hands at fancy soirees. I can't speak to the late, great designer's actual motives, but she certainly was a fan of bubbly, giving us the classic line: "I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not."
Chanel could afford true-blue Champagne from France's region of the same name, of course. For people of lesser means, there's compelling value in bubblies from elsewhere, such as California, Spain, Italy, Canada and even France. No eveningwear necessary.
Jane Ventura Reserva de la Musica Brut Nature 2010 (Spain)
SCORE: 90 PRICE : $17.95
This is crafted in the same method as Champagne, with a long secondary fermentation in bottle in contact with the yeast. But whereas the vast majority of sparkling wines are injected with a sugar solution to offset high natural acidity, the "brut nature" style popular in Spain avoids the sweet detour. I'm a fan of the style, and this is a fine example. As dry as Death Valley, it smells like bread dough, with creamy froth carrying an essence of lemon pie filling (without the sugar). Perfectly tuned acidity. Available in Ontario.
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs (California)
SCORE: 90 PRICE : $33.95
Made mostly from the red pinot noir grape, Ferrer's Blanc de Noirs comes in a beautiful coppery-apricot colour. Rich and creamy, it's dry but with a whisper of sweetness that underscores its strawberry-like fruit. Complex and balanced. Various prices in Alberta.
Hinterland Borealis Method Charmat Rosé 2014 (Prince Edward County)
SCORE: 89 PRICE : $22
Owners Vicki Samaras and Jonas Newman have been listening to the land in Eastern Ontario's cool-climate Prince Edward County, and that land has been telling them that sparkling wine is a big part of its destiny. This is pretty stuff, visually and otherwise. Made from the red gamay grape and coloured an inviting salmon-pink, it's more like Prosecco than Champagne, re-fermented in bulk tanks versus individual bottles, so the effervescence might come across as a tad foamier. And it's slightly short of bone-dry, with flavours suggesting wild berries, red apple and brioche pastry dough. Juicy, autumnal and fun. Available in Ontario.
Bestheim Brut Crémant d'Alsace (France)
SCORE: 88 PRICE : $19.95
Tuck your nose deep into the glass and smell crusty baguette, which is always a good thing. On the palate, it's lean and bone dry, redolent of green apple and lemon with a dollop of apple sauce, supported by moderate effervescence and a hint of sweetness. $18.80 in Quebec.
La Marca Prosecco (Italy)
SCORE: 87 PRICE : $17.95
The Tiffany-blue label and attractively curvy bottle are eyecatching, much like that fancy fashionista yellow label Champagne, Veuve Clicquot. But Prosecco – generally re-fermented in a more industrial way in tanks rather than bottles – is not Champagne, which largely accounts for the lower price. This is a fine aperitif, almost off-dry in sweetness, with uncanny pear and apple characters and lively froth. Well-balanced. $17.49 in B.C. (on sale for $15.99 till Oct. 31), various prices in Alberta, $20.04 in Saskatchewan, $19.99 in Manitoba, $19.99 in New Brunswick $20.99 in Nova Scotia, $20.27 in Newfoundland.
J.L. Chave Sélection Mon Coeur Côtes du Rhône 2013 (France)
SCORE: 91 PRICE : $21.95
This is a marvellous red Côtes du Rhône from an outstanding producer, worth the premium over run-of-the-mill Rhônes that sell for $5 less. Full-bodied, very dry and chewy, it's redolent of dark plum, raspberry, cracked pepper and herbs, with a nuance of heady barnyard air on the nose. Drinking well now, it should gain complexity with five to eight years in the cellar. Various prices in Alberta, $22.25 in Quebec.
Famille Perrin Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône 2013 (France)
SCORE: 90 PRICE : $29.95
A standard-bearer for Côtes du Rhône from vines that grow next door to the more lofty Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation. Seductive cherry with notes of licorice and lavender, lifted by vibrant acidity and spice. Elegant and concentrated. Various prices in Alberta, $32.01 in Saskatchewan.
Alamos Seleccion Malbec 2012 (Argentina)
SCORE: 89 PRICE : $16.95
Youthful stuff, this ripe red tastes like it was just pressed, with an essence of grape must mixed with blueberries and raisins. Good balancing acidity. A crowd pleaser for fans of moderately priced malbec. Various prices in Alberta, $18.95 in Quebec.
Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Franc 2013 (Niagara)
SCORE: 89 PRICE : $21.95
Recalling the herbal-tinged cabernet francs of France's Loire Valley, this organic red offers up juicy cherry and strawberry fruit along with bell pepper and floral overtones, set against a moderately tannic spine. Well-structured. Available in Ontario.