Drink of the Week: Living Roots Session Sparkling White

I would happily accept a glass of bubbles any day of the year, but the unwritten rule of New Year’s Eve is that Champagne must be hoisted aloft at some point. However, I’m also game to buck tradition with an unexpected bottle, and the Session Sparkling Wine from Living Roots delivers both cheer and charm.

Living Roots is a trans-global creation, founded in 2016 by husband and wife Sebastian and Colleen Hardy. Sebastian grew up working his family’s vineyard in the Adelaide Hills of Australia, while Colleen grew up in Rochester and worked in marketing before turning to wine. Just two years after meeting during harvest in Australia, the pair established Living Roots, with outposts in both South Australia (where the focus is on lively medium-bodied reds) and New York’s Finger Lakes (dynamic whites and sparkling wines).

The Session Sparking White is unique both for its production style and resulting ABV. Blended from Elvira grapes from their family vineyard on Keuka Lake and other early-picked hybrid varieties from the region including Aromella, Cayuga, and Vidal, a portion of the grapes are made into a piquette with a few days of skin contact, while the rest is pressed right away. Made in the Charmat method, the Session Sparkling White is dosed with unfermented juice rather than sugar, with second fermentation stopped early to leave just a hint of balanced sweetness. With flavors of orchard fruit laced with a subtle minerality, this tasty sparkler clocks in at just 9 percent ABV. $22, livingrootswine.com