Brut Sparkling

Dry is the operative word. This bottle comes off coastal Cape vineyards and behaves the way a brut should, green apple and citrus on the nose, a zesty palate, and bubbles with enough life to scrub things clean between bites. Light straw with a yellow tint in the glass. Most alcohol-free sparkling goes sweet, because sugar is the easy way to fill the hole alcohol leaves behind, so a genuinely dry one is worth knowing about. Fifteen calories per 150ml serving. It is the Misty Cliffs bottle to reach for when the occasion calls for a toast, and it earns its keep at the table with oysters and shellfish. Salt suits it, so truffle fries and popcorn are not a joke pairing. Founder Jason Stanley grew up in the coastal town of Hermanus and built the whole range around Cape fruit.