There are actually several good budget-friendly options, so it took a minute to narrow it down, but I finally settled on this Cava from Gramona as the way to go. Kevin and I drank it on Christmas night this year, and it was the perfect thing. I often like Cava in general as a sparkling option because of its tendency to be relatively inexpensive even despite being made via the traditional method. This Gramona Cava goes a bit further because it also has a little bit of age on it, which adds some toasty, creamy, nutty notes that are perfect for the holidays and rich winter fare.
Hailing from Penedes Spain, the Gramona is made with two of the traditional Cava grapes, Macabeo and Xarel.lo, but also with the traditional Champagne grape Chardonnay, which is an interesting twist. I love its golden straw color and streams of smallish bubbles in the glass, but am even more enthralled with the nose of this wine - all baked yellow apples, caramel and butterscotch, topped with a sprinkling of toasted almonds.
The palate does not disappoint - the caramel, baked apple, and almond are all there. They are joined by some brighter notes, however, including lemon zest, lemon custard, and even some herbaceous apple skin. I enjoyed this with cauliflower crudite, but think that it would be dynamite with some rich, caramelized roasted root vegetables, or even a cauliflower gratin topped with some breadcrumbs and a little parsley. In the end, though, the good news about sparkling wine is that it pairs well with just about everything.
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