At this time of year many of us have a house full of friends and family. There are so many ways to satisfy your guest’s holiday culinary craving but what about the wine? With so many types of food, a good wine pairing can be a challenge.
The easiest way to tackle this problem is with a versatile wine. This year, we took a look at a great way to impress your guests and their palates. A Sparkling Rose would be a great choice.
These Sparkling rosés are perfect for meals that run the gamut from roasted turkey and vegetables to creamy gravy and even seafood. Instead of overpowering some of the dishes with a big red wine, a rosé offers the structure and body to stand up to some heavier flavors while not overpowering some more delicate dishes.
The bubbles also serve as a palate cleanser cutting through rich, fatty flavors to get you ready for the next dish. We visited three method champenoise sparkling rosés from Spain that provides a nice libation for your holiday meals.
Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut (SRP $18 )
Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut takes the classic Pinot Noir grape and adds a touch of Trepat to give this wine a unique flavor.
On the nose, classic aromas of Cherry, earth and even smoke lead into a palate of red fruit, cherry and blackberries that provided for balanced acidity and a long refreshing finish.
The Pinot Noir used in the Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut is grown on the Mas Bernich estate located near the town of Masquefa in the Alt Penedès region, southwest of Barcelona, Spain. The region is known for cooling fog from the Mediterranean and the long warm growing season. This delicious wine is a blend of 85% Pinot Noir and the balance in Trepat made in the Method Champenoise .
Cordon Rosado Brut (SRP $12 )
Freixenet Cordon Rosado, was created to meet a growing consumer demand for a premium sparkling wine that is smoother and softer than a brut but with more fruit and an attractive color.
On the nose, cherry aromas jump out of the flute followed by smoke and red floral notes. The palate is light with flavors of raspberry, cherry and coca leading to a balanced finish with spice on the very end.
The grape varieties used in the creation of the base wine for this Cava are Trepat and Garnacha. These are local Mediterranean grapes known for being lower in acid creating a much softer brut.
Segura Viudas Brut Rosé (SRP$10 )
Segura Viudas Brut Rosé is a good example of the possibilities for a well-made cava using the traditional méthode champenoise process. Segura Viudas Brut Rosé is a special blend of traditional Spanish grapes grown on the 445-acre estate in Torrelavit, Alt Penedès, and the heart of Spain’s renowned cava country
In the flute, the colors are light pink. The nose provides aromas of strawberry, currant and cherry. The Palate is. Refreshing with bold flavors of cherry fruit jumping out of the glass with light acidity that leads to a soft finish . This wine would be a nice pairing for or starters or would pair well with seafood and just by itself. This interesting blend of 90% Trepat and 10% Garnacha is a unique and mouthwatering combination that is sure to please.
It was a real pleasure sampling these interesting, affordable wines from Spain. The wineries are owned and operated by the Ferrer family of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, near Barcelona, Spain, the Freixenet and Segura Viudas wineries are part of the Freixenet Group, one of the ten largest wine companies in the world.
Pop the cork and enjoy for the Holidays or any other time of year!