Champagne, Prosecco, sparkling wine, bubbly — no matter
the label, this fizzy beverage means one thing, it’s time to celebrate. Whether you are celebrating small moments like the end of the day or toasting with friends at brunch OR you’re “cheersing” with friends for the holiday and ringing in the new year —champagne makes a moment sparkle.
For Stephen and I, we kicked off this holiday season by celebrating our 30th anniversary.
As a lover of champagne who once lived in the wine country of South Africa and keeps a stock of this delicious boat christening tool, I wanted to share some fun facts and recipes to make your holiday season fizzy and fun.
The Origins of Sparkling Wines
Almost every wine producing country in the world produces sparkling wine of some sort. Here are some popular sparkling wines and where they are from.
- Champagne is actually only Champagne when it is from the Champagne region of France. This popular bubbly is quite versatile in food pairing and cocktail mixing.
- Prosecco is an Italian white wine produced in nine provinces and is named after the village of Prosecco. This sparkling wine is made from Glera grapes and tends to be on the sweeter side.
- Cava is a sparkling wine that comes from a town in Spain called Catalonia. This version of sparkling wine is primarily made from the Spanish grape, Macabeo, and has a fresh, lemony flavor.
- Crémant is also produced in France, but can be made in many other regions outside of Champagne. While it’s made in the same traditional method of Champagne, most types have a creamy and nutty taste rather than sweet.
- Sekt is from Germany and is known to for its low sweetness and can have alcohol levels as low as 6 percent. This version of bubbly also contains fruity and floral aromas.
- Rosé is an increasingly popular sparkling wine that coined the phrase “Rosé all Day” and is most known for its pink hues and fruity aroma. Sparkling Rosé can come from a variety of places from Italy to California and is most commonly produced in Provence, France.
South African Sparkling Wines
We are very proud of our 
South African heritage and specifically about our food and wine industry that is hugely underrated. Our good friends Janine van Zyl and Ian Renecle from African Moon Adventures shared some insights into the South African sparkling wine industry with us.
“Cap Classique (previously known as MCC-Méthode Cap Classique) is our South African ‘version’ of Champagne. It is made using the same technical, sophisticated and traditional method as French Champagne with the wine undergoing second fermentation in bottles and being matured for a minimum period of twelve months.
With award winning 
winemakers such as Jeff Grier (Villieria), Pieter Ferreira (Graham Beck Wines) and Johan Malan (Simonsig), soil that mimic the terroir of Champagne in France and the perfect climate for growing Champagne grapes, the only difference between Cap Classique and French Champagne is the name!
With our incredible wine-growing regions and innovative winemakers, many of South Africa’s Cap Classique’s are considered to be on par with French Champagne. For decades, Cap Classique has been one of the few South African wine varieties to remain a closely guarded secret. However, since President Obama served Cap Classique at his inauguration, the secret is out…or is it?”
For an unforgettable experience in the South African winelands, contact Ian and Janine for a tour. They are extremely knowledgeable and so much fun to visit with!
- Facebook.com/AfricanMoonAdventures | @africanmoonadventures (Instagram)
- Facebook.com/janine.zyl | @diekeldermeisie (Instagram)
Janine & Ian’s Top 5 South African Sparling Wines
- Simonsig Cuvée Royale Blanc de Blanc 2014
- Villiera Monroe Brut 2014
- Cederberg Brut Blanc de Blanc 2013
- Charles Fox Cipher 2012
South African Sparling Wines on the U.S. Market
These are some of our delicious “Champagne”s available right here in the USA at very good prices! Try them out for this year’s celebrations!
Holiday Sparkling Wine Cocktail Recipes
MINTED MIMOSA PUNCH (from www.howsweeteats.com)
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold orange juice
- 2 750mL bottles chilled champagne
- 1 16-ounce bottle cold blood orange Italian soda
- ½ cup vodka – you can use a citrus flavor if you’d like!
- 2 navel oranges thinly sliced
- 1 pint strawberries sliced
- 1 /2 cup fresh mint leaves plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the juice, champagne, soda and vodka in a large pitcher with a bit of ice, the orange slices and the strawberries, leaving just a few out for garnishes in the drink. Stir in the fresh mint leaves. This tastes amazing once it sits for about 30 minutes in the fridge, but you can serve it right away too.
- Pour over crushed ice and garnish with extra orange slices or strawberries!
KIR ROYALE
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Creme de cassis (blackcurrent liquor)
- 185ml/ 3/4 cup champagne or sparkling wine
Instructions
- Pour creme de cassis in a champagne glass, then top with Champagne and serve!
- In reality, you don’t need to measure – just eyeball it by colour, take a sip and adjust to taste! Some people like it sweeter, with a deeper red. Some people like just a tiny hint of blackcurrent.
MORE YACHT CHARTER INFO
Want more galley kitchen recipes for your charter yacht business? Check out our guru recipes and other charter management tips.
