Our top bubbly pairings

SHOP BUBBLY AND MAGNUMS

Classic sparkling wine and food pairings are a brilliant way to start a meal. While oysters and caviar are amazing, there are so many more options for unique bubbly food pairings that can be enjoyed anytime.  Here are a few of our favourites that put a new twist on bubbles, and take pairings to a whole new level. 

KRONE NIGHT NECTAR DEMI-SEC 2015

The term “brut” on a sparkling wine label means it’s very dry, while demi-sec means it’s off-dry or semi-sweet. After a Champagne-method bubbly has undergone a second fermentation in the bottle, it’s topped up before a cork is inserted. With demi-sec this topping-up liquid (dosage) is sweetened. Demi-sec MCCs like this one are growing in popularity and are great with spicy food and desserts.  SHOP NOW
Tasting notes: This blend of 72% Chardonnay and 28% Pinot Noir has an appealing floral honeysuckle character, which gives it texture rather than the effervescence of a very dry bubbly.
Match with: Winemaker Stephan du Toi enjoys it with pecan pie and ice cream, while his wife serves it with spicy Indian chicken or prawn curry.

VILLIERA NO SULPHUR ADDED BRUT NATURAL CHARDONNAY NV

Villiera and Woolworths both aim to produce sustainable products with as few additives or preservatives as possible. The grapes for this MCC are fermented by the natural yeasts on the grape skins, no SO2 has been added in its production and the topping-up dosage is totally dry. “The ideal fizzy therapy for all ills,” says winemaker Jeff Grier. SHOP NOW
Tasting notes: The Brut Natural is 100% Chardonnay and has a yeasty bouquet with citrus and a light toastiness. The palate is creamy with an exhilarating dry elegance.
Match with: Due to its dry, savoury style, it’s the Grier family’s favourite apéritif. They also pair it with oysters, seafood risotto or paella.. If you fancy something sweet, we think it's a great match with our delicious handcrafted roasted macadamia nut nougat.

GRAHAM BECK BRUT ROSE NV

In the MCC market, rosé sales are rocketing – previously, Graham Beck sold a lot more of its brut but now the rosé sells equally as much. So the recent announcement that they will no longer make still wine but will concentrate entirely on MCC comes as no surprise. SHOP NOW
Tasting notes: Winemaker Pieter “Bubbles” Ferreira says the brut rosé has “aromas of strawberry and cherries and a light secondary whiff of freshness. Flirtatious and fun with pinprick bubbles that burst exhilaratingly on your tongue, yet are delicate on the palate”.
Match with: Bruschetta with gorgonzola and roasted butternut 

KEN FORRESTER SPARKLEHORSE BRUT

Chenin Blanc was once known as a workhorse grape variety, so Ken Forrester has put a sparkle in it, capturing “the fun and spirit of the fair with a colourful fairground pony“. SHOP NOW
Tasting notes: This MCC made from Chenin Blanc starts with a zingy brightness, as the first sip is like biting into a green apple, sharp at first and then the fruit kicks in – pear, peach and quince. The mousse is delicate but excites the palate with a sweet and sour tang, coated with a soothing creaminess.
Match with: Ken says: “ ’S’ ” is for summer, seafood, salmon, sushi, salads, sunsets and, of course, sparkling!”

 

COLMANT CHARDONNAY BRUT NV

Jean-Phillippe Colmant smiles a lot. And why shouldn’t he? Since leaving Belgium in 2005 with his wife and five children, he has developed a five-hectare farm in Franschhoek and produced a remarkably good range of award-winning, crowd-pleasing MCCs. This Blanc de Blanc was the class winner at this year’s Amorim MCC challenge. SHOP NOW
Tasting notes: JP says you should expect: “Alluring aromas, delectable flavours and infinite effervescence.”
Match with: Follow his advice and book your best friends for a braai of Karoo lamb chops seasoned with Maldon salt and eaten straight off the grid.

COMTESSE ALEXIA CHAMPAGNE NV

This is an exclusive blend for Woolworths from the Champagne company Alexandre Bonnet in the Aube region of Champagne. Their vineyards are mainly planted with the two red Champagne grapes, Pinot Noir and Pinot Menieur, but they buy Chardonnay from the Côtes des Blancs vineyards. SHOP NOW
Tasting notes: The intense, almost hedonistic richness of the 80% Pinot Noir is offset by the delicacy and floral overtones of the 20% Chardonnay. White flowers
and citrus fruit meet ripe dark berries – a match made in bubbly heaven.
Match with: Alexandre Bonnet says the Comtesse Alexia would certainly have enjoyed it with tuna tartare, scallop carpaccio or choux pastries.