Life.Culture.Discovery.

Opinion7 sparkling wine alternatives to pricey champagne for the holidays, from Europe and Australia – all for the price of a supermarket Moët or less

Sparkling wine is widely enjoyed during the holidays, but champagne can be expensive. Fortunately there are affordable alternative sparkling wines

From an Italian pét-nat to a German riesling to a pinot noir from France, we pick seven bottles that cost no more than a supermarket Moët or Veuve Clicquot

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Sparkling wine will be drunk widely over the holiday period, but champagne is expensive. We pick some alternatives that won’t break the bank. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 5:15pm, 6 Dec 2022

Yin and yang. Mario and Luigi. Peanut butter and jelly. Penguins.

Some things just go together, and so it is with bubbles and holiday parties.

Champagne is always a good idea, but buying a reasonably priced bottle from a grower-producer may be a challenge this year, as demand continues to outpace supply and world-famous restaurants from New York to Tokyo compete for coveted bubbles to add to their lists.

Fortunately, delicious sparkling wines are produced all over the world, and you can easily pick an artisanal bottle with personality for the price of a supermarket Veuve Clicquot or Moët, with many retailing in Hong Kong for about HK$300 (US$38).

Delicious sparkling wines are produced all over the world, and good ones can be picked up in Hong Kong for around HK$300. Photo: AFP

Pét-nats

Pét-nat, short for pétillant naturel – “naturally sparkling” in French – is a winemaking method that predates champagne, with the wines undergoing only one fermentation as opposed to champagne’s two. Produced using any grape variety or blend, pét-nats are typically fresh and approachable, and most are not filtered – which sometimes leads to a slightly cloudy appearance and texture-adding sediment.