Fielding has been making a name for themselves with their Rieslings, so it only stands to reason that if they were going to make a sparkling wine that Riesling would be the grape they’d choose to make it with. This is winemaker Ray Cornell’s second go around with sparkling wine and it is decidedly a very good effort. This wine is made using the tank method so the bubbles aren’t as long lived as they would be in the traditional method; they start off big and bubbly and calm to a delicate upward trickle. When the cork is first popped you’ll find a fresh, vibrant and extremely moussy wine … but as many hairdressers know, mousse doesn’t last forever and the same can be said here. Once dissipated you’re left with a fizzy refresher that manages to hold on to its bubbles over the long haul; then again a bubbly this good does not remain in your glass for long. Once the foaminess dissipates and the fear of getting bubbles up your nose is gone, take a sniff: fresh apples and peaches with a pleasant toasty under-currant. The peaches and apples follow through in the mouth along with some pineapple and lemon freshness. Good acidity and great taste makes this a worthy addition to the Fielding stable of Rieslings, and one of Niagara’s best sparklers.
