“I also love rosé sparkling wine with steak, specifically flank or filet mignon.” I love pairing with things like fried shrimp po’boys, crawfish jambalaya, and French fries,” says wine and travel consultant Julia Coney. All fruit is responsibly farmed and is cultivated in cool-climate areas in Pipers River.

Jansz has been pioneering high-quality sparkling wines from Tasmania since 1975. The wine undergoes secondary fermentation in bottle and is aged on the lees for three years prior to release. This pinot noir-dominant rosé from the Land Down Under oozes with flavors of candied red fruit, rhubarb, cream, and rose petals. Region: Tasmania, Australia | ABV: 12.5% | Tasting Notes: Candied fruit, cream, rose petals This is a gorgeous and textbook Champagne-and if Champagne is the king of sparkling wines, the Brut Tradition is a pretty solid standard-bearer for the entire category. The palate is complex and generous, with flavors of black cherry, fresh mint, and toasted pastries leading to a savory mushroom finish. It drinks deliciously when it’s young and only adds richness with a few years of aging. Utilizing a blend of pinot noir (70%) and chardonnay (30%) grown in the grand cru villages of Bouzy, Verzenay, and Ambonnay, the Brut Tradition is a textured and expressive Champagne. Egly-Ouriet is an RM (récoltant-manipulant) or “grower” Champagne, meaning that the grapes are grown by the same estate that makes the wine-allowing for a cohesion of terroir and process that eludes the more familiar high-end brands. Region: Champagne, France | ABV: 12.5% | Tasting Notes: Black cherry, mint, pastry doughĭelicious, elegant, and frustratingly rare, the flagship Champagne from winemaker Francis Egly deserves a high spot on your list of bottles to try this year.

Sweet wines