By Rich Mauro
Special to The Gazette

While sparkling wine is most often associated with special occasions — weddings, holidays, New Year’s Eve — it is appropriate for any occasion.

Luckily, effervescent wine is so popular that there are versions made all over the world. Sparkling wine is the ultimate warm-weather pour and is almost always terrific with food, mainly because of its palate-cleansing properties.

Recently, I have seen spumante (Italian for bubbly wine) growing in popularity among consumers. Most notably, they have made northeastern Italy’s Prosecco one of the most popular sparklers in the world, with its fruity freshness and foamy effervescence. There is even pink Prosecco. The 2023 Villa Sandi Rosé ($16) blends a little pinot nero with the required glera for a crisp, delicate wine.

This summer, I’m drinking a lot of Lambrusco, the ebullient red sparkler from Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. It has emerged as a high-quality affordable choice as artisan producers offer refreshing, distinctive bottlings. I asked Scott Thomas, sommelier and co-founder of Grappolo Food and Wine School, for some recommendations.

“Lambrusco is having a serious moment right now, and honestly it’s everything we want in a summer glass: bright, fresh, low-alcohol and bubbly. Thankfully, the days of cloying sweetness are behind us, with around 90% to 95% of what’s produced now is dry.”

Scott recommends these “low-intervention, organic or sustainable bottles” to try: Paltrinieri’s stellar Lambrusco di Sorbara “Radice”, Medici Ermete’s iconic “Concerto” (a brilliant Salamino) and Fattoria Moretto’s classic Grasparossa. From a bit farther north near Mantova, grab Corte Pagliare Verdieri ‘Ven Crud,’ a gorgeous Sorbara.

Staying with Italy, a particularly fun discovery was the Garofoli “Pét Kon” Vino Rosato Frizzante ($18). From Italy’s Marche, it a light wine made from montepulciano using the Ancestral Method (also known as Pét-Nat, relying on spontaneous fermentation and producing delicate bubbles). Bottled unfiltered with a crown closure at a mere 8% ABV.

While many sweet wines have deserved their reputation for poor quality, this shouldn’t extend to the lightly effervescent wines known as Asti (formerly known as Asti Spumante) and Moscato d’Asti (after its Italian region of origin). Similar to Lambrusco, both have improved significantly in quality in recent years.

Both are made mostly with moscato bianco, are very aromatic, often with peach, apricot and honeysuckle, and low alcohol, about 7% ABV. Asti is rather foamy, while Moscato d’Asti is frizzante (gently bubbly). They are ideal with dessert or as an aperitif.

To see what I mean, try the Bera Asti ($22) and enjoy its delicate, juicy flavors balanced with good acidity. Also, savor the 2024 Patrizi Moscato d’Asti ($18) for its lightly fizzy and succulent fruit.