Espumante californiano

The elegance of sparkling wine suits Northern California's wine region. While California isn't exactly famous for its bubbles, there are some fabulous bottles on offer. These wines are known to be crisp, dry and extremely mousse-y. With wonderful fizz, fantastic citrus, orchard and brioche notes, Californian sparkling wine provides a great alternative to overpriced Champagne. Sparkling wine production in California started in 1892 with the Korbel Brothers in Sonoma County. They began producing what's regarded as the first quality sparkling wine in America using the méthode champenoise (the process of having secondary fermentation inside the bottle, thus creating the bubbles). Most Champagne and sparkling wine is made with Pinot Noir or Chardonnay grapes, two varietals that grow in abundance in California. Some of the finest sparkling wines in California come from Mendocino County, specifically in the Anderson Valley. Some of the big names are Scharffenberger, Roederer and Schramsberg. For pairing with Californian sparkling wine you should look towards seafood. A nice charred squid or some scallops would go wonderfully, and you could even work something a little spicier in there.