You’re probably here because you have a special someone that loves a little bubbles in their life! Browsing through the aisles at the LCBO can seem intimidating, but Liquid Culture is here to take away the anxiety this Holiday Season. This year’s Holiday Gift Guide is filled with a variety of Sparkling Wine and Champagnes to choose from, with your budget in mind.
For point of reference, please note that all bottles mentioned are items that are / should be available in Ontario. For the international guests on here, I kept in mind the selection that’s available within our province and know full well that there is still a WORLD of products yet to be tasted.
All Bottles and Products mentioned are entirely unsponsored. We wanted to provide you with our outmost honesty this holiday season. This way no one is getting crappy gifts this season!
Budget Friendly Sparkling
It was important for me to come up with Budget Friendly options for this Holiday Gift Guide. Whether you’re looking for a Stocking Stuffer offer, have a limited budget for Secret Santa, or maybe you’re looking for something Value driven for your Holiday Party at home, this list is for you. Showcasing bottles under the $50 price range that offers great value and maybe something a bit different from your norm.
Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catherine Rose – Priced at $32.95. This has been a forever favourite of mine for a very long time. It’s got the perfect blend of fruit, while still offering a crisp, dry Sparkling Wine. Plus this Rose supports our Niagara Wineries which you always know I’m here to support. For value and consistency, this Rose has everything!
Freixenet Sparkling Wine – Priced at $25.95. It’s all about pure value here! Whenever I need a Cava to go with my cocktails (which is often), this is a great go-to. Plus they come in convenient smaller packages, so you don’t have to open a whole bottle for a single French 75. Value and accessibility is the reason I love and put Freixenet on this list.
Tawse Spark Brut – Priced at $25.95. Ontario produces some outstanding Sparkling, but it’s high costs for winemakers makes it hard to fit in a budget. Tawse is always producing quality sparkling for me, and wines in general. I tend to lean towards the Spark Brut when creating cocktails in large volumes so not a single bubble is put to waste.
Something, Something in the Middle
You’ll find Sparkling Wine and Champagne priced between $50 – $100
Blue Mountain Blanc de Blanc – Priced at $54.95. If you ever see anything from this British Columbia winery, grab it! They produce some of my favourite Pinot Noirs in Canada PERIOD. But their Sparkling Wines are just as special. Only problem is, much of it stays in BC. So if you ever see it on the LCBO shelves, this is another one of those scenarios where you just have to buy it!
Perrier-Jouet – Priced at $74.95. Of the classic Champagne houses you typically find on the shelves, I tend to always gravitate towards Perrier-Jouet. The thing is, I think this is very much up to preference. If Veuve has been your jam for a long time, then by all means stick to it. I’m just letting you know my personal preference and for the value, it’s incredible.
Vilmart et Cie Grand Reserve – Priced at $73.95. Whenever possible, I’m always seeking out the rare, smaller Champagne wineries. There’s so much out there, but we don’t always see it on the LCBO shelves. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to find Vilmart et Cie available. If you’re looking for those one-off rare bubbles, this is worth the grab and at an incredible price!
Go Big or Go Home
Here you’ll find our premium selection options at over $100 for 750ml.
The truth is, if you want to dive into the $100 bottle selection, I go big with the Billecart Salmon Rose or anything Krug. But this selection is so dependent on your LCBO, and your preference, that I didn’t feel right offering up my selection. Plus they can range in extremes from thousands of dollars to the few hundreds. If you really want some expert advice in this area range, I would seek the advice of @SuperwineGirl or @TorontoVino for all the info. They’ll be happy to help the people in Ontario navigate their sparkling selection!
Looking for Sparkling Wine inspired Recipes? We’ve got a library of recipes to choose from, just check out the link HERE!
