Wine aficionado Camila Alarcon-Chelecki’s connoisseurship began with her grandfather’s tutelage. She brings a family-style warmth to her recommendations for great spots to imbibe a bit of bubbly in Pittsburgh.
Margaux
5947 Penn Avenue
This is a great spot to grab a glass/snack/dessert before or after dinner. They have a great list of champagne and sparkling wine by the glass as well as by the bottle. I really love that the list is curated with the thought of expanding the guests’ palates by including diverse grape varietals, as well as a broad diversity of wine-producing regions. The quality of sparkling wine is stunning, from a blanc de blancs from Alsace, to a sparkling rosé from Traisental, Austria.
The Vandal
4306 Butler Street
A lovely spot for date night or girls’ night out, you can have a modern dinner here and pair it with some incredible sparkling and low-intervention sparkling wine. The wine list is perfect for those with adventuresome palates who are willing to push the traditional boundaries of food and wine. They have unique and very special sparkling wines and champagnes by the bottle which you are unlikely to find elsewhere in Pittsburgh. Made by smaller producers, these sparkling wines are very terroir- and quality-driven. I recommend pairing a bottle of the Champagne Rosé, Mouzon-Leroux, Montagne de Reims France with The Vandal’s divine tartare.
Casbah
229 S. Highland Avenue
Ideal for traditionalists and those in search of the classics. Plus, they have Gaston Chiquet Champagne by the glass. Their bottle list includes heavy-hitters in the champagne space like Boudaire-Gallois, Perrier-Jouet, Moët & Chandon, and some wonderful sparkling wines from Spain and Italy. I highly recommend ordering a bottle of Roger Goulart Rosé Cava Brut to pair with the Lobster Saffron Pappardelle.
Story by Camila Alarcon-Chelecki, @camila.uncorked
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