Illinois Sparkling Company, Pops For Champagne, City Provisions Team Up For Collaboration Wines

By Anthony Todd in Food on Nov 8, 2012 5:20PM

We're obsessed with Illinois Sparkling Company. Ever since our first taste at a farm dinner this summer, we've consumed the local sparkling wine (especially their rosé variety, Dollface) at every celebratory moment we could make up. Illinois Sparkling produces an always-changing array of varietals, and now they've moved into the world of collaborations.

Earlier this fall, Illinois Sparkling Company teamed up with City Provisions owner Cleetus Friedman to produce "Freak of Nature," the first sparkling wine ever made (as far as anyone knows) with tea. In this case, oolong from Rare Tea Cellars. We attended the launch dinner and got a first taste of the complex, bottle-fermented concoction—light, flavorful and a bit more interesting than a typical dry sparkling wine. Bottles are still available from the initial run of 120 for sale at City Provisions.

Yesterday, Illinois Sparkling Company released a collaboration wine with Pops for Champagne. Called "Ensemble," the wine was created by Pops beverage director W. Craig Cooper and has been two years in the making. We haven't had a chance to taste this one yet, but we'll be heading down to Pops at the first opportunity—the wine is only available there and at the Illinois Sparkling Company tasting room in Utica, Ill.

It's so refreshing to be able to pop open a local bottle and not have to apologize for it. So many other Midwestern-made products are at the top of their game, and we're grateful to Illinois Sparkling for showing us that wine can be on that list. If you're skeptical of a sparkling wine grown amongst cornfields by non-french speaking people&mdas;trust us, give it a try.

Illinois Sparkling Company wine can be found at wine and specialty stores throughout the city, including City Provisions, Provenance Food and Wine, In Fine Spirits and others. Check their website for more details.