Like Coco Chanel, the famous fashion icon, I only enjoy champagne twice: when I’m in love and when I’m not.
But unlike Coco Chanel, my taste in champagne doesn’t conflict with my beer budget.
Some people may relate to this.
And the great thing is, so are Orlando’s top wine experts.
Wine shops/bars like Degrees Wine in College Park, Quicksand Wine Bar at Mills 50, and Modesto Wine in Winter Park have a lot to taste and are happy to sell the most expensive bottles to connoisseurs, but they’re far more interested in education than intimidation, and that can be a factor when you walk into their parlor.
People come together during the holidays for a variety of reasons, many with brain bubbles. But where do you start? I asked some of Orlando’s top pros for their favorite sodas and found a wide range of options to fit every budget, whether you’re bringing something to a party, gifting a client or loved one, or just want to open something a little special during the winter holidays, at a big gathering or an intimate gathering at home.
Tim Varan, Tim’s Wine Market
His pick: Claude Mancia Clément de Bourgogne, $26.
On Varane’s first trip to France in 1993, his group stopped at Mancia-Poncet, then an up-and-coming Macon producer.
“The family has been growing grapes and making wine since the 1930s, but they also sold the wine to local cooperatives,” explains Varane. “Then in the 1980s, Claude Mancia decided to start selling under their own brand.”
Today, the wines are made by his daughter, Marie-Pierre, who, according to Varin, has elevated the estate to one of the top in the Mâcon region.
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“This wonderful crémant is a blend of 1/3 each of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Aligoté, fermented in bottle and aged for two years. A bubbly, mouth-filling sparkling wine with the complexity of Champagne, but without the harshness. No food It’s very drinkable, but also goes great with smoked or canned fish, stone crab claws, or shrimp scampi.I still love Champagne, but I serve this when I have company over, because it’s so much better than most cheap Champagnes, and it’s still half the price.
If you go: 1223 N. Orange Ave. in Orlando, 407-895-9463; timswine.com
Heather La Vine, Quicksand Bar à Vin, Mills 50
One of Orlando’s leading ladies in natural wine, Heather Lavigne’s two venues each have their own personality and offer a different experience. Golden Hour is more shop than bar, and Quicksand is the opposite, but both offer great drinks for guests and a low-intervention immersion into the world of wine for those interested.
LaVine picks: Les Hautes Terres, l’Air du Paradis Limoux Méthode Ancestrale (non-vintage), $39 takeout / $59 on premise
“I lather up lists and shelves into quicksands,” she says. “Some people might think that percentage is unreasonable, but that’s what (the team) likes to drink and that’s what a lot of our guests come for, too.
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When we think of natural wine, we often think of pétainat (petillan naturel: the oldest method of producing sparkling wine), which comes in a transparent bottle with a beer cap (instead of a cork). We have a few like that, but let’s be honest, they’re not the ones you most often see us drinking, bringing to dinner parties, or sharing with guests. ”
At Quicksand, we enjoy layered, deep bubbles, which Lavigne says means naturally grown Champagne, German Sekt, and even Lambrusco.
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“As with the Rails du Paradis Limoux Method Ancestrale, we also enjoy really delicious bubbles from lesser-known regions and locations, where the quality exceeds the price.”
Lavigne describes this wine as “a wine you can bring to any holiday party. It’s a wine for everyone at the table, including your grandma, your natural wine geek friends, and everyone in between. And guess what? It’s actually a PET nut, bottled in a dark bottle, covered with a cork and a cage, and just disgorged just like Champagne, so there’s no lees.”
Fun fact: This wine is made from a white variety called Mauzac, which is native to the Limoux region of France.
“This variety is not found in many other parts of the world. Even in Limoux, this grape has been replaced by Chardonnay.”
Although it’s vague, she says, the flavor is compelling, with “complex, familiar aromas of white flowers, brioche, green apple, and notes of honey. And as always, it’s organically grown, hand-harvested, and without any additives like yeast or sugar.”
No added sulfites. cheers!
If you go: 1903 E. Colonial Drive in Orlando. quicksand wine
Heather La Vigne, Golden Hour Wine, Baldwin Park
Lavigne Picks: Alessandra DiBella, Blanc de Blancs 2021, $70
Lavigne says Franciacorta is Italy’s answer to Champagne, “and Alessandra DiVella is considered by many, including myself, to be the queen of Franciacorta producers. Prosecco is probably the first Italian sparkling wine we were introduced to, but if you enjoy Champagne, Franciacorta is your next drink.”
Dibella’s wines are some of the few produced naturally in Lombardy, and to Lavigne’s knowledge, she is also the only female winemaker in the region.
“I’ve been lucky enough to spend enough time tasting and talking with her over the years. She’s smart, thoughtful, and cares deeply about mastering her craft. We love her and her wines!”
Lavigne called Blanc de Blancs the perfect starting point for guests, saying, “If you’re interested, we can take you on a journey from there.”
These wines are always on her holiday table, and what’s more, the Quicksand staff will pour you a glass right away.
If you go: 1560 Lake Baldwin Lane in Orlando, 689-444-6072; Golden Hour.Wine
Rob Chase, Degrees Wine
His choice: NV Red Tail Ridge Perpetuel Change, $40.
Red Tail Ridge Winery in New York State’s Finger Lakes region has been at the top of Chase’s list of fun discoveries in recent years, where he says some of the most exciting wines are made.
“And you couldn’t find a better example than Red Tail Ridge,” Chase says.
Owner Nancy Irelan and her partner in business and life, Michael Schnell, purchased the property in 2002 as a kind of comeback from the corporate world, he reports. This is after completing my Ph.D. in Grape Genetics and spent many years leading E&J Gallo’s quality control program in California.
Since moving in, Chase says Riesling, Pinot Noir and lesser-known varieties such as Dornfelder, Teroldego and Blaufränkisch have been planted.
“The Perpetuel Change from Red Tail Ridge is a great departure from the norm,” he points out. “This wine is produced using the Champenoise method, but with a twist. The base is made using the Solera method, commonly found in Sherry and Madeira.”
This is a type of fractional blend, he explains, in which the base is amended in years and extracted from the previous blend as the wine is bottled. In this way, it is constantly evolving.
“This means that this bottle contains several vintages (from 2019 to 2023 to be exact), which creates consistency in style and creates additional depth in taste and aroma.”
“The first taste greets you with a creamy, flavorful character, followed by citrus components, namely burnt orange. As that rich brioche-like flavor melts away, your senses are treated to layers of fresh flowers, honeysuckle, and saline. …This wine is really all about tension and balance, the interplay of salt and fruit. Just imagine the electric orangesicle and you’re almost there. I compare this wine to Champagne any day of the week.
If you go: 1215 Edgewater Drive in Orlando, 407-426-7510; digresswine.com
Kyle Ridington, Modesto Wine
His picks: Champagne Goenelle + LaSalle, Les Agnos, Premier Cru, 2020. 200 dollars
Kyle Ridington’s Winter Park location certainly offers affordable wine, but his impressive champagne wall represents his deepest passion as a sommelier.
He calls this pour singular, or mood-altering. ”
“During a recent visit to this small, family-run property little known in the United States, I stood with the winemaker in the rugged vineyards of Les Agnos, surrounded by 70-year-old vines.”
According to him, Champagne accounts for less than 1% of that variety.
“Only 1,600 bottles of this 2020 vintage of Les Sagnos will be produced per year,” he says.
“(It’s) organic, of the highest purity with zero additives. It’s raw, it’s right, and it’s as seductive as Cinderella’s butt.”
If you go: 544 W. Fairbanks Ave. in Winter Park, 407-960-3857; Modestowine.com
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