Christmas season has officially begun for me. While I haven’t yet seen this gorgeous tree at the Met this year, I am on my way to see Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall, a tradition for a number of years and looking forward to toasting with sparkling wine. I love sparkling wine in all of it’s iterations – Champagne, Franciacorta, Prosecco, Cava, Cremant, American sparklers, you name it and I am up for bubbles. With the holidays upon us, I feel it necessary to drink even more sparkling wine than I do normally. Lucky for me, there is an endless supply.

Many Italian wineries are now making sparkling wine from their indigenous grapes. I’ve had sparklers made from Cannonau, Nebbiolo and even Sangiovese. Those that I talk to about this new trend say that in part it is due to the popularity of Prosecco and in part due to their desire to complete the range of wines that they can offer clients. Many also make sweet wines in this same vein – to round out their selections.

Hopefully 2016 will be filled with all kinds of sparking wine and who knows maybe many occasions on which to drink it – although I could drink sparkling wine everyday – occasion or not. Salute!