Gary and I stayed in a B&B years ago that was owned by a charming older couple filled with life, love, and many stories. When I asked the wife how she maintains so much energy, her response was direct and undisputable, she enjoys a glass of sparkling wine with lunch daily. It is a habit I think we can all get into now that dry January is over. Or, if you’re extending it, some delicious non-alcoholic/dealcoholized sparklers will fit the bill, giving you all the bubbles and none of the buzz.

The cool climate of New York’s Finger Lakes region provides an ideal terroir for the production of sparkling wines with freshness, elegance, and refinement, as displayed in the premium selections from Dr. Konstantin Frank. Winemaking pioneer for the region, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery embraces innovation and modernity while staying true to tradition, allowing the vineyard terroir to speak through the wines. Utilizing the classic Methode Champenoise production techniques, with the secondary fermentation taking place inside the bottle to create the bubbles, Dr. Konstantin Frank Blanc de Blancs is a brut-style, 100% Chardonnay sparkler from vineyards planted exclusively for the production of sparkling wine. The wine ages for 36 months en tirage, giving it a yeasty, freshly baked bread note. These flavors meld with golden citrus and stone fruit with a touch of creaminess on the finish. 

With a whisper of pink color, Maison Telmont Reserve Rosé Champagne blends predominantly Chardonnay fruit with 13% Pinot Meunier. The fruit is grown mainly in Damery, located along the right bank of the Marne River. Damery is the home of the historic estate established in the Champagne region in 1912. The family-owned estate’s sparkling wine is a non-vintage selection blending fruit from the 2015 vintage with a touch of fruit from the 2014, 2013, and 2012 vintages, ensuring the house style shines in the wine. The wine ages in the bottle for a minimum of five years, adding the yeasty creaminess extended aging on the lees brings to sparkling wine. Full-bodied, rich, and distinguished, the wine layers ripe apples, wild berries, red cherry, and pink and golden citrus. Lively and fresh, the wine is ideal to sip on its own or with a pairing of fresh shellfish or salty parmesan.

Blending 50% Pinot Noir with 50% Chardonnay, Château de Bligny Grande Reserve Champagne is rich, creamy, and inviting, everything you could want in a classic glass of Champagne. The grower-producer has been crafting exceptional selections since the current family owners took over the Chateau in 1999. Still, the historic estate that dates back to 1773 has enjoyed years of quality sparkling wine production in years past that unforeseen circumstances, like the devastating effects of phylloxera and world wars, destroyed it. Today, the producer’s dedication to the home and the vineyards comes through in its graceful selections. The Grande Reserve shines with notes of lemon and apple blossom, stone fruit, and ginger spice that lead to a palate of ripe golden fruits, fresh cream, and biscuit with a hint of crushed stone.  

Sonoma’s warm Dry Creek Valley is home to some of the county’s finest old vine zinfandel vineyards, producing robust, inky red wines. However, that is not the only variety that thrives in the area, as Chardonnay is the top white grape planted in the region. This isn’t cool-climate Chardonnay; Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay is ripe, rich, and well-rounded with tropical and citrus fruit flavors. Dutcher Crossing Posterity Reserve Blanc de Blancs is a 100% Chardonnay wine from the property’s estate vineyard. Following the traditional method of production, 75% of the primary fermentation takes place in the barrel, with the secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle, which ages 20 months. The non-vin age sparkler opens with a lively mousse and aromas of ripe pineapple, white flowers, and brioche. The palate shines with notes of pineapple, crisp apple, ripe Meyer lemon, and blanched almond.

For those who prefer to abstain, Society De La Rassi’ Neue Brut’ Chardonnay dealcoholized sparkling wine shows the quality that you can find in today’s NA options. The product begins the same way you would prepare a traditional method of sparkling wine, fermenting grape juice from sustainably sourced Spanish fruit to create a chardonnay wine. The wine then goes through a vacuum distillation to remove the alcohol while maintaining the fruit’s fresh, crisp, juicy flavor and vibrant natural acidity. The final product has a mere 0.5% alcohol and 15 calories per glass, delivering all the luscious, luxurious liveliness of a classic sparkling wine without the morning headache.