Sparkling Wine in Stockport
Bubbles without the big-house markup: traditional-method wines with real depth from small estates, crémant that outperforms its price, and brighter, fruitier fizz for opening on a whim. All of it natural or low-intervention, all of it tasted before it's stocked, and all of it cheaper than it would be in a restaurant. There's usually a bottle chilled at the stall, so ask.
Herstmonceux, England
■ Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Four years on lees from a single Sussex vintage, 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier, gently pressed to catch the richness of the black grapes without the colour. Dark cherry, blackberry and plum with nutmeg and toasted almond, then creamy and bone dry to finish. The English sparkling that converts Champagne drinkers. Vegan.
Cerdon, France
■ Gamay
A lightly sweet, low-alcohol sparkling rosé made by the méthode ancestrale, the single-fermentation method that defines Bugey-Cerdon and which Balivet is credited with reviving locally. Bright and perfumed with crunchy cherry, raspberry and violet over fine bubbles, and a lovely play between sugar and acidity. Certified organic.
Limoux, France
■ Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir
A traditional-method sparkler from Limoux with citrus, syllabub and lime-blossom notes, a limestone-driven saline freshness and a gentle bitter twist on the finish.
Ortrugo dei Colli Piacentini DOC, Italy
■ Ortrugo
Pale straw with a green hint and a delicate, gentle fizz: fresh mint, white flowers and citrus, light and easy on the palate with the soft bitter twist that marks out the Ortrugo grape. A Colli Piacentini classic, hand-tied with string.
Gutturnio DOC, Italy
■ Barbera, Croatina
A lightly sparkling red from the Piacenza hills — bright ruby with a soft, gentle fizz, juicy blackcurrant, wild strawberry and violet, light grippy tannin and a clean, dry finish. Serve cool, with charcuterie. Bottled in the local style, hand-tied with string.
Slovakia
■ Pinot Blanc, Fetească Regală, Grüner Veltliner, Blaufränkisch
Not a pét-nat, and the label makes a point of saying so. Pinot Blanc with a splash of Fetească Regală, Grüner and Blaufränkisch, given skin contact then fourteen months on lees in bottle before disgorging with zero dosage. Coppery pink, creamy in texture and bone dry, with a savoury edge that makes it a far better aperitif than most fizz. From the volcanic slopes beneath Sitno.
Corpinnat, Spain
■ Macabeo, Pinot Noir
Mother-of-pearl pink with a fine, lively bead: ripe raspberry and strawberry, a generous entry settling into a dry, firm finish with a touch of red-fruit-skin tannin. Traditional method, eighteen months on lees. Certified organic, bottled under the Corpinnat mark.
■ Xarel·lo, Macabeu, Parellada
Pale gold with a fine, persistent bead; white flowers, pear and pastry giving way to brioche, cream and toasted almond, with fresh acidity and a dry, structured finish. Traditional method, a minimum two years on lees in Penedès. Certified organic, and bottled under the stricter Corpinnat mark rather than Cava.
Veneto, Italy
■ Glera (Prosecco grape)
Frizzante means gently sparkling — less fizzy than Prosecco but just as charming. Fresh pear, white flowers and a clean, light finish. An approachable crowd-pleaser at a great everyday price.
Tours-sur-Marne, France
■ Pinot Noir (60%), Chardonnay (40%)
Grower Champagne from Ophélie Lamiable, whose six hectares at Tours-sur-Marne are classified Grand Cru in their entirety. Sixty per cent Pinot Noir to forty Chardonnay, the current release built on the 2021 harvest and topped up from a perpetual reserve, then dosed at just 4.5g/l — Extra Brut, properly dry. Citrus and brioche over a long, chalky finish.