I can’t think of a better wine for Christmas than sparkling Shiraz. It’s festive, pairs well with many holiday favorites and the color really dresses up the holiday table. 

I have to admit that it took me a few years to warm up to sparkling Shiraz (or any sparkling red wines, for that matter). I’ve had examples that made my teeth hurt from excessive sugar and others where the sparkling wine’s yeasty character seemed to fight with the fruit and tannins of the red wine base.

But a couple of top-flight examples helped changed my mind about sparkling Shiraz. The first–and perhaps one of the best made in Australia–was a bottle of Barossa Valley Estate’s E & E Black Pepper Sparkling Shiraz. The winery makes a still version of the E & E Black Pepper Shiraz, which routinely scores major awards, and the sparkling version is made from the same base wine.

It then undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle before being aged on the lees, disgorged, dosaged and rebottled for sale–just like Champagne. Unfortunately, like Champagne, it’s expensive, and difficult to find in this country. Only 150 cases of the 2003 were imported, and the retail price at the one store listed on wine-searcher.com is north of a hundy.

Much easier to find and much easier on the wallet (expect to pay $20 to $30) is Majella’s 2005 Sparkling Shiraz. Originating from the slightly cooler region of Coonawarra, co-owner Brian “Prof” Lynn calls it “the ultimate breakfast wine,” and while it might indeed go well with a hearty brunch, I’d opt for putting it alongside a roast instead. Its rich fruit, chocolaty flavors and lush texture will add another layer of decadence to your holiday meal. Winemaker Bruce Gregory uses vintage “Port” for the dosage rather than a traditional wine-and-sugar liqueur d’expédition.

If you haven’t yet acquired a taste for sparkling Shiraz, there’s no better time than the holidays. Here are a few recommendations, based on my tastings of free samples:

• Majella 2005 Sparkling Shiraz Coonawarra (91, $30)
• Barossa Valley Estate 2003 E&E Sparkling Shiraz Barossa (90, $70)
• Kilroy Was Here 2006 Sparkling Shiraz McLaren Vale (87, $28)
• Schild Estate 2007 Sparkling Shiraz Barossa (86, $25)

What’s your opinion of sparkling Shiraz? Are you a fan, or will you just add blue food coloring to Champagne until you get that festive green Christmas color in the glass?

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