Pop some local sprakling this new year’s eve!
Between all the Christmas and New Year’s parties, a heck of a lot of sparkling wine is consumed at this time of year. After all, it is the drink of choice when it comes to celebrating.
Luckily for all us wino’s here in Perth, we have many great sparkling wine producers right under our noses in the Swan Valley. It may mean a trip out to the Valley to stock up, but hey, when has an afternoon visiting a few local cellar doors ever been a hard ask?
Being a huge fan of the ‘
Pro Tip: Be selective when using the word ‘champagne’. Technically champagne only comes from the Champagne region in France. While many sparkling wines produced here in Australia are made in the same way as champagne (aka Méthode Traditionelle) they aren’t from the champagne region. So instead they should be called sparkling wine. Think about it like if you are an Aussie and are called a Kiwi or vice versa, most of us take offence to that!
Garbin Estate Sparkling Chardonnay, $22
If you haven’t yet visited Garbin Estate and you’re a bubbles lover, get out to their Toodyay Road cellar door ASAP. These guys produce a Sparkling Chardonnay, Sparkling Semillon, Sparkling Chenin Blanc and Sparkling Rose. Some years, they also throw some sprinkles of gold leaf into some of the bottles for an extra special touch.
I’m a big fan of their range of bubbles, particularly their ‘Blanc de Blancs’ aka 100% Chardonnay Sparkling. It has such a smooth texture and mouthfeel with a lovely fruitiness that simply keeps you going back for more. Plus, it’s worth mentioning the Garbin range of bubbles is vegan-friendly.
Fun fact: Garbin Estate’s expertise in sparkling wine production extends over 10 years. Alongside producing their own fizz, they also offer a riddling and disgorging service to other wineries who need help producing their bubbles. A lot of work goes into making a bottle of bubbles – especially when it’s made in the traditional style!
Where to buy it: Garbin Estate Cellar Door, 209 Toodyay Rd, Middle Swan WA 6056
Pinelli Estate Sparkling Juliet, $26
I can’t count on one hand, or even two, how many bottles of Pinelli Estate’s Sparkling Juliet have been consumed in my household this year.
It’s an incredibly approachable bottle of sparkles, not to mention it’s great value and the artwork on the label is just a little bit romantic (great for Valentine’s Day too!).
The wonderful Juliet has a lovely creamy texture to it in the mouth with plentiful flavours of orchard fruit (apples, pears) and refreshing citrus. It is so easy to consume. Which means it’s better to buy at least two at a time of this one.
Where to buy it: Pinelli Estate Cellar Door, 30 Benett St, Caversham WA 6055
Fun fact: Pinelli Estate is one of the closest Swan Valley wineries to the Perth CBD. Driving from the Perth central station to the winery can take as little as 25 minutes.
Sittella Bubbles Range, $20+
It makes sense that one of the most beautiful wedding venues in the Swan Valley (if not in Perth) place a major emphasis on sparkling wine production.
Winemaker, Yuri Berns, is a bubbles aficionado who has grown the sparkling wine range at Sittella over the last few years.
For me, the classic sparkler from Sittella is the Sparkling Chenin Blanc at $20 a bottle. It’s my go-to crowd pleaser bubbles when I’m catering for different palates. Sittella also released it in a magnum (1.5 litre bottle) this year and is made in a crémant style that makes it a bit less fizzy (a great choice if you find bubbles bloats you!).
Sittella has a vineyard down in Pemberton as well, which means they can extend their bubbles range with cooler climate fruit. Their Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Chardonnay is super elegant while their Sparkling Rosé is an absolute delight – especially when enjoying a sparkling wine breakfast or brunch.
If you get the opportunity to taste their top of the range award-winning Grand Vintage ‘Marie Christien Lugten’ please do so! I ensured I stocked up on the 2012 prior to it selling out. However, I’ve heard through the grapevine that the 2013 has recently been released and is also pretty exceptional.
Where to buy it: Sittella Cellar Door, 100 Barret St, Herne Hill WA 6056
Pro Tip: Head out to Sittella early morning on a Saturday or Sunday and have a sparkling wine breakfast at The Nest. We have been numerous times this year and have loved it!
Edgecombe Bros Sparkling Chardonnay, $26
What winery cellar door can you go to for a wine tasting and be offered asparagus to munch on? Edgecombe Brothers in Ellenbrook of course!
A tasting experience at Edgecombe is always a barrel of laughs, but don’t let the witty banter distract you from how great the wines are – especially the bubbles!
The Sparkling Chardonnay is a favourite of mine. From freshly baked biscotti to just cut apple with a squeeze of lime – this fizzy wine will satisfy all your thirst quenching bubbly needs.
Where to buy it: Edgecombe Brothers Cellar Door, 1733 Gnangara Road, Ellenbrook WA 6069
Fun fact: During asparagus season (around October) you can do Asparagus Masterclasses – it’s definitely something different and a load of fun!
Jane Brook Sparkling Gold Chenin Blanc, $70
Are you ready to take your sparkling wine drinking to the next luxurious level? Then you need to head out to Jane Brook to grab some of their cellar door exclusive Sparkling Gold.
It’s made from 100% Chenin Blanc grapes and is infused with West Australian 23 carat Gold Leaf for that extra special touch. They don’t skimp on the gold leaf either, which means you will sit there and continuously swirl your glass to see the pretty gold bits dance around.
Talk about a great bottle to see in the New Year!
Where to buy it: Jane Brook Cellar Door 229 Toodyay Rd, Middle Swan WA 6056
Fun fact: Drinking edible gold leaf is completely safe to consume and it does earn you epic bragging rights amongst friends!
This is only a handful of the awesome sparkling wines of the Swan Valley. Make sure to also check out the bubbles at; Olive Farm Wines, Faber Vineyard, Tylers Vineyard, Ugly Duckling, Mann, Upper Reach, Mandoon Estate, Little River and Harris Organic to name a few more.
PS: If you love your sparkling red check out the Sparkling Shiraz at Sittella and Upper Reach!
Perth New Year’s Eve Fireworks Shows
If you are interested in taking in some fireworks to close out the year and welcome in the new year we have you covered with 9 new year’s eve fireworks locations spread across Perth.
Read more: New Year’s Eve Perth Fireworks Locations
