12 Wines for the Holidays: The Essential Bottle of Bubbly

Stony Brook Vineyards Lyle, Methode Cap Classique, South Africa $29

You’re bound to need a good bottle of bubbly to serve at your holiday parties, New Year’s Eve toasting or for gift giving and this is an excellent choice that won’t break your holiday budget. Cap Classique is an elevated category of sparkling wines from South Africa that are made using the same method as Champagne proper (secondary fermentation and aging takes place in the bottle). The term on the label helps distinguish the product from sparkling wines made using less costly methods of production such as Prosecco (where the secondary fermentation takes place in large vats).

Stony Brook Vineyards is a boutique, family-owned winery that has been producing wine in the Franschhoek region of South Africa since 1995. The Lyle is made from 100% Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs) with 15% of the base wine fermented in French oak barriques. It spent over 4 years aging on the lees in bottle! Extended aging on the lees is what gives sparkling wine its characteristic toasty, nutty and brioche like taste and contributes to the presence of soft, creamy bubbles. The longer it ages, the more toasty and brioche-like the flavor. But of course, the longer it ages is also how long your capital and investment is tied up which is what makes this sparkling wine such a good bang for the buck! Plus it’s from South Africa which is unique and different and a bottle that everyone is sure to remember.

TASTING NOTES: toasted brioche, lemon peel, hazelnuts and tart green apples with a fine, creamy peristent finish.

PAIRING: Makes a lovely and festive aperitif to be enjoyed oysters, shellfish and a wide array of party canapes and appetizers.

Available for purchase at Perman Wine Selections