Celebrate July 4 with this American sparkling wine
When a wine’s appellation is simply “American” it usually means at least 25% of the fruit was grown in another state.
Did you know that there are wineries operating in all 50 states? That’s a great reason to celebrate Independence Day with American bubbles, like this one from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It’s rare to find fine wines that say “American Wine” on the front label, a reflection of how wines are regulated and sold. All wines must spell out the region of origin of their grapes, or “appellation,” on their label. Due to wine’s agricultural nature, the smallest appellations are associated with the highest possible quality. U.S. rules require that if a state like California or county like Sonoma is named on a label, at least 75% of the grapes must be grown there. As a result, when a wine’s appellation is simply “American,” it usually means that at least 25% of the fruit was grown in another state.
That’s precisely the circumstance for this unusual sparkler from Albuquerque. The winery was founded in the 1980s by a French family from the Champagne region who brought their sparkling wine expertise to the Southwest. This venture proved that chardonnay and pinot noir grapes grown in the high desert could make excellent bubbles and Gruet wines have since become sommelier staples. In recent years, though, their brut and brut rosé have become so popular that the winery has had to reach beyond their own New Mexico vineyards and begin bringing in supplemental fruit from Washington and California to meet demand for these entry-level cuvées. The wine is still spectacular for the price, though, with all the brisk refreshment and crisp green apple flavors associated with great bubbles, along with the faint scent of freshly baked croissants associated with the Champagne method of production.
Gruet “Brut” Sparkling Wine
$14.99 12.5% alcohol
PLCB Item #1476
Sale price through July 31 – regularly $16.99
Also available at these N.J. stores:
Joe Canal’s in Lawrenceville, $13.99, lawrenceville.jcanals.com
Canal’s in Mount Ephraim, $13.99, mycanals.com
Canal’s of Berlin Discount Liquor Mart in Berlin, $14.99, canalsofberlin.com