Say good-bye to 2021 and hello to 2022 with sparkling wine

If ever there were a New Year's to pop the bubbly it's this one.

Sparkling wine has always been the traditional imbation to say good-bye to the old year and hello to the new.

But this year it's even more important to fill your glass.

After all, we all want to say good riddance to COVID-tainted 2021 and its heat dome, wildfires, bitter cold, flooding, mudslides, highway devastation and supply-chain disruptions.

And, I'm sure, we want to welcome a 2022 with some sort of post-pandemic return to normal.

Liquor stores are awash with sparkling wines this time of year, much of it good and reasonably priced bottles from France, Italy, Spain and Australia.

But if you want to buy and support local, BC bubbly is the way to go.

Let's start with the delicious and affordable Steller's Jay Mountain Jay Brut ($21) from Summerland.

It's the ultimate BC sparkling because it was the first Champagne-style wine made in the province in 1989.

Only sparkling wine made in France's Champagne region by the traditional method of secondary fermentation in the bottle to create the fizz can officially be called Champagne.

All other bubbly made in any other region of the world, even if it uses the Champagne style, can only call itself sparkling wine.

There's also the Prosecco method popularized in Italy where the bubbles are produced during a second fermentation in big stainless-steel tanks.

Generally, Prosecco-style wines are cheap and cheerful because they are made and bottled quickly to be enjoyed while they are fresh and light.

Champagne-style and especially real Champagne, is pricier because of the extra handling and aging, producing a more textured bubbly with fruit flavours and aromas enhanced by a brioche profile, thanks to the yeast cells in the bottle during fermentation and aging.

So back to the Steller's Jay Brut, which has been a perennial favourite since its introduction in 1989 for its abundant fine bubbles and apple-lemon-and-fresh-baked-bread profile.

In 1989, it was BC wine pioneer, the late Harry McWatters, who was at the helm of Sumac Ridge Winery, which made the inaugural Steller's Jay.

McWatters went on to start Time Family of Wines in Penticton, which is now under new ownership, but still pays tribute to McWatters and his love of bubbly with a line up of five sparklers across its four brands.

The two affordable Prosecco-style options are Evolve Pink Effervescence ($22) and Evolve Effervescence ($22).

The mid-range, Champagne-method sparklers are Chronos Brut ($35) and Time Brut 2018 ($35).

The top-shelf bottle carrying the founder's name, McWatter's Collection 2017 Brut, is $65 and, of course, is made with special care in the Champagne method.

Two other great examples of BC bubbly in the Champagne style have labels named after stars and are from Township 7 Winery.

Township 7 has two locations, one on the Naramata Bench and one in Langley.

Chardonnay grapes from the Okanagan go into the Polaris 2018 ($36) to create a blanc de blanc sparkling.

And Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from the Fraser Valley are used to make the flagship Sirius 2015 Brut ($80).

Happy New Year!