It’s National Rosé Day! Honestly though, it might as well be called “Rosé Day 365” because the meteoric rise in rosé’s popularity over the last several years has made it widely “acceptable” for year-round drinking.
I placed an emphasis on the word acceptable because, as a “dance to the beat of my own drum” kind of girl, I’m not one to automatically subscribe to so-called rules, especially ones revolving around enjoying wine. So just like I have no problem breaking the “don’t wear white after Labor Day” rule (ha), I also have no problems with drinking rosé year-round instead of just during the spring and summer. After all, drinking wine should be fun, and “rules” were made to be broken!
I’m frequently asked for sparkling wine recommendations, and the main 2 requests I’ve had lately are my suggestions for good, affordable sparkling wines, and my “favorite” bubbly rosés. Making suggestions on quality, value-priced picks is easy, and sharing sparkling rosés that I love is easy–but finding value priced sparkling rosés? Now that’s a bit more challenging. This is especially true when you take in to consideration that “affordable” is relative, and because, in general, rose sparkling wines are often anywhere from 20-40% higher in price than their non-rosé counterparts.
Case and point: a bottle Nicolas Feuillatte Brut will run about $35, while a bottle of their rosé costs around $50.00. That’s a $15.00 (40%) price point difference. “Well, why?” yous say? Ahh, you always ask the best questions, my bubbly lovers.
The short answer is that the process for making rosé is general is more time consuming. Rosé is usually made via 1 of 2 different methods: one called “assemblage” and the other “Saignée.” Assemblage is when a bit of still red wine is added to the wine blend, and the Saignée method involves extracting color from the skins of red grapes {to read a little more about the Saignée method, click here to check out a post I wrote a few years ago}. The extra steps those rosé-making methods require equates to the wine making process costing more time and money–and that cost is passed on to you, the rosé loving consumer.
All of that sounds like it would make finding not just bubbly, but good rosé bubbly, that hits the $10.00 mark virtually impossible, right? Well, as the title of this article asserts, I’m undaunted by a good challenge, and it turns out it is indeed quite possible.
After sipping and sampling my way through a lot of bottles, I’ve selected 5 #BubbleistaApproved rosé sparkling wines around or under $10 bucks. Check them out below and click the price to get buying info!
1.) Jaume Serra Cristalino Rosé Cava–$9.99
The Jaume Serra was one of the very first value-priced sparklers I drank that truly convinced me that achieving “champagne tastes on a beer budget” could be attainable in real life. Made in the traditional method with a secondary fermentation in the bottle like champagne
BLEND: 60% Pinot Nior + 40% Trepat (Trepat is a Spanish red grape that has some similarities to Pinot Noir)
NOSE: deeply cherry with baking spices and raspberries dominate
PALATE: chewy dried cherries, nutmeg, super ripe and juicy plums, and delicate, fresh strawberry notes plus feisty acidity and bubble beading + a nicely creamy mousse make this cava fun to sip
2.) JP Chenet Rosé-–$8.99
If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen that I did a recent review of the JP Chenet Brut a couple of months ago, a bottle I happened to stumble across while perusing the wine aisles. I really enjoyed it and, after I learned more about the winemaker (bileld as “the #1 French wine brand in the world”), decided to give the rosé a whirl. Happily I was just as pleased with this rose as I was the Brut!
BLEND: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon + 25% Sangiovese
NOSE: floral-ly raspberries; crunchy, slightly green nectarines; strawberries
PALATE: fresh strawberries, fresh summer red cherries, white stone fruits, and a pleasant slight salinity savoriness that makes you smack your lips just a little bit.
3.) Domaine Saint Vincent Rosé–$10.99
Domaine Saint Vincent is a new-ish brand from the same folks who have been making stellars wines out of New Mexico for years, which is Gruet Winery. Listen, if you haven’t gotten into New Mexico yet for good quality, well-prices wines you are MISSING OUT!
Located in Albuquerque, Gruet Winery’s wine maker was born in France and comes from three generations of Méthode Champenoise winemaking–that means they are serious about making quality wines, and the Saint Vincent is no exception!
FUN FACTS: (1) the brand seems to have undergone a label redesign (I like this new label MUCH better–it’s in alignment with the spirit of the wine) so don’t be confused by the old, more formal and plain labels online (2) the real Saint Vincent is known as the Patron Saint of Vignerons (winegrowers)
BLEND: 100% Pinot Noir
NOSE: fresh strawberries, lemony, floral-rosy notes
PALATE: juicy strawberries and sweet citrus; fresh peaches; wonderfully dry but still red fruit-ish; a hint of smokiness and salted watermelon; medium bodied. There’s structure and acidity on this bubbly that you wouldn’t expect from a wine for $10!
4.) Iter California Sparkling Rosé–$10.79
Making it’s way out of Napa, California, Iter Cellars also makes some respectable Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon (including a reserve) that are also worth checking out.
BLEND: Unfortunately I don’t know. I looked high and low for notes or a tech sheet, but just could not find any information at all. I’m presuming that since they grow and make Pinot Noir, that it’s what’s also in the sparkling wine.
NOSE: deliciously redolent of candied strawberries, plus some lemon zest, toasted brioche
PALATE: sweet orange citrus notes, raspberries, and strawberry hard candy; stone fruit pit bittersweet-ness mid palate; slight nutty toastiness; pleasantly fruity and off dry
Overall this is a fun, “party” wine that works well for entertaining a crowd (that is, once we’re able to entertain in crowds again! #pandemic) and sipping poolside.
I feel compelled to take my *Bubbleista hat* and put on my *lawyer for entrepreneurs hat* for just a moment to say two things:
- one of the ways to build your brand and business loyalty is through a well-crafted and shared brand story. I wanted to find out more about Iter but, alas, there wasn’t much info in the “Who We Are” section, and the brand story was absent (shrug);
- I don’ t understand why it’s either forgotten about or deemed unimportant for wine brands to include specifics on the blend composition. Consumers and wine pros/the trade alike want to know what they’re drinking
5.) Segura Viudas Rosé Cava–$9.99
This is one of my go-to value cavas I’ve been drinking for several years and that I’ve been recommending, too. This is an nice, easy drinking cava that should please a wide array of palates.
BLEND: 90% Trepat + 10% Grenacha
NOSE: red fruits on the nose–think strawberry and currants
PALATE: sweet, juicy peaches; fresh strawberries, and red, sweet-tart cherries; delicate acidity, creaminess, and lovely bubbles
So those are my 5 “Bubbleista Approved” sparkling rose picks for $10! Let me know if you’re intrigued by any of my picks. Or if you’ve had any of them before, let me know what you think of them. Cheers to National Rose Day, good people!