Frank Siegel poured five “new world” sparkling wines at his last Friday night tasting and I popped in to give them a try. While 15 people signed up for the event, some 30-plus came through the doors, which while it’s a good sign that the tasting was popular, such situations can make things hard for Frank in terms of gauging how much wine to order beforehand.

Luckily, Frank is no fan of effervescence, so his share could be donated to the collective good. Here’s how the bubbles came up for me, ranked from first to fifth… 

Miguel Torres Pinot Noir Bruite (Chile): It smelled toasty, and slightly of yeast and nuts. It was tart – sour apple - and I could imagine getting a stomachache after a few glasses of this (fifth place).

Norton Cosecha Especial Extra Dry (Argentina): The nose is light and peachy, with a faint toastiness. I found it bit rough going down. “I’m not enjoying number two” say my notes which kind of says it all (fourth place).

Redbank – Emily, Pinot Noir Chardonnay (Australia): Very little nose; some toast and slight nuttiness; nice creamy bubbles and a light apple and citrus taste; this one I liked (first place).

Bridgewater Mill Brut (Australia): Some petrol and toast on the nose; a bit tart, not as smooth as number 3 (third place).

Chateua Ste. Michelle Brut (Washington State): Dry, reliable, I can live with it, though it does seem to be missing some oomph (second place).

We also tried two of the Hungarian wines from last week’s tasting. My note-taking took a turn for the worse, but the two bottles sampled were both nice and a fitting finale to a fun night.

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