Holiday Wine Guide: The LCBO’s best bottles of champagne and sparkling wine

Cave Spring Cellars NV Blanc de Blancs

$29.95 | Ontario This chardonnay-based sparkler always has killer acidity, with green apple, lemon, lime, touches of pear and a great mineral hit on the finish. There’s also a floral touch, most likely from the little bit of chardonnay musqué that slips into every batch. You really can’t go wrong with this one. LCBO 213983

Speck Bros. NV Lazzara Bianco Secco

$17.95 | Ontario It’s basically an Ontario prosecco, and offers up many of the same aromas and flavours: white fruits with a nice citrus punch and a touch of sweetness on the mid-palate, with a dryer-than-expected finish. It’s non-vintage, but this year’s version is better than last year’s. LCBO 16789

Ruffino Prosecco Rosé DOC

$16.80 | Italy Pale, pink and pretty, this is a style of prosecco we are going to start seeing more of as producers can now add up to 15 per cent pinot noir to give it that colour. There’s a nice hit of strawberry and lime juice on the palate, the latter of which balances that prosecco sweetness and leads to a dry and refreshing finish. LCBO 20896

Cono Sur Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé

$14.95 | Chile A perennial favourite, this year’s version has a slightly different label, and what’s inside the bottle seems to be a lighter pink, and doles out more citrus than the expected raspberry. No complaints here: it’s still a delicious sparkling wine you can drink every night between Christmas and New Year’s without guilt. LCBO 365205

Pommery Royal Brut Rosé Champagne

$79.95 | France Delicate in all ways: on the palate, on the nose and even with its teeny tiny little bubbles. Red fruit and subtle lime notes are backed by some nice biscuity-yeasty notes. This is a champagne you won’t soon forget. LCBO 234112

Mionetto Extra Dry Rosé Millesimato Prosecco 2020

$16.95 | Italy Another member of the prosecco rosé wave, this one leans on the raspberry and lime side of life—these are perfect holiday brunch wines to enjoy with no orange juice required. LCBO 21046

Juve y Camps Pinot Noir Brut Rosé Cava

$24.95 | Spain A very pretty rosé. With notes of strawberry and cherry on the tongue and lemon drop on the finish, it really is a berry bowl from start to finish. It also has a much deeper reddish color than one would expect from a sparkling rosé. LCBO 385088

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne

$74.95 | France A super-yummy bottle of champagne that will have you wishing you had bought two or three. The rich mouthfeel has a Wonder Bread quality in is smoothness, but by the time you get to the finish, the acidity has taken over and all you get is apple, lime, almond and even a buttery croissant-like note to the finish. LCBO 155341

2019 Pelee Island Bella Sparkling Red

$18.95 | Ontario An interesting bottle of sparkling red from Pelee Island, this is Ontario’s take on lambrusco, a sparkling Italian red frequently enjoyed on hot summer days. This is made with chambourcin and pinot noir, and has a hint of sweetness and very nice balance. LCBO 21321

NV Villa Sandi Prosecco

$15.95 | Italy Prosecco generally feels like great value when you’re craving bubbles, and this bargain-priced bottle even more so. With complex aromas and flavours of white flour, melon and apple, you might think twice about dumping this into a mimosa. LCBO 394387

Grande Cuvée 1531 De Aimery

$18.95 | France This wine reflects the hotter summers that you get in the south of France, with aromas and flavours of white flower, peach, and orange. In spite of the ripe fruit notes, there is still bright, crisp acidity to keep this light and refreshing on the palate. LCBO 428086

Chateau de Montgueret Crémant de Loire Brut

$19.95 | France Grabbing a bottle of crémant is a great way to get wine made in a champagne style without the champagne price tag. This bone-dry bubbly opens up with aromas of lime zest, granny smith apple and mineral. The mouthfeel is bright, light and crisp, with hints of apple that linger on the finish. LCBO 217760

Laurent Perrier Rosé

$102.95 | France There is a reason why this is the world’s top-selling rosé champagne. The red fruit aromas and flavours are subtle and open on the palate with a nice creaminess. In spite of the rich texture this has the signature zippy acidity that makes this a perfect match to any holiday meal. But let’s face it, opening this champagne is a special moment unto itself. Vintages 158550

Krug Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne

$333 | France Krug continues to be the benchmark for champagne quality. In a year where bottles of Champagne may become a rarity due to disrupted supply chains, you may want to grab a bottle sooner rather than later. This is a complex and rich bottle of wine, with notes of toasted brioche, subtle vanilla, baking spice, bright citrus, and roasted almonds. Vintages 38562