BEST PINK FIZZ TO SHOW YOUR LOVE TO YOUR VALENTINE
VALENTINES’ Day approaches, so which bottle are you going to whip out for your partner, lover, or friend-with-benefits? There is something classically romantic about a pink sparkling wine and those two qualities just happen to be undergoing a rise in popularity in the UK.
Rosé Champagne dates back to the late 18th Century, though there is some debate as to whether it was originally Veuve Cliquot or Ruinart who got there first. For anyone who has comically blended red and white wines together in their youth to make “rosé”, you were not that far from the winemaking techniques of Champagne; traditionally it is made by adding a little still red Pinot Noir into the clear Champagne, though it can also be made by macerating the liquid on the skins to give it colour. Most often made using Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes, these elegant, delicious wines are joyful on their own and fabulous with food.
The lightness of the wines can pair with sushi and light bites, but the berries mean they can also be fuller flavoured than their Brut counterparts and go with dishes including lobster, steak and spice. The bubbles cut through grease and fat, which is why fish and chips pair so well with Champagne as well as creamy sauces and even chocolate. They all, however, have their own distinctive personalities. With so many to choose from which one will you choose to celebrate your other half next week?
FOR THE TRADITIONAL ROMANTIC
Laurent Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut £89.99 SELFRIDGES
A classic champagne from an established historical House, the bottle design harks back to the 17th century and the wine is full of petal-soft florals from its premium Pinot Noir and a creamy, refined mousse. A Champagne for romantic courtship if ever there was one. The beautiful gift tin can also be personalised in time for Valentine’s Day with your own message, making it as special as your other half.
FOR THE GENERATIONALLY WEALTHY
Gusbourne Sparkling Rosé 2019 £55 GUSBOURNE.COM
For someone raised with a Champagne lifestyle, find a way to surprise them and showcase how fabulous English wine can be. Gusbourne’s wines are the best of the best, just like your beau. A dry wine but with developed notes of rich baked strawberry cheesecake, brioche and berry. A grown up take on rosé, this is old school sophistication that is sure to impress.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE GETTING LUCKY
Simpsons Wine Estate Canterbury Rose Sparkling Rosé 2021 £35 SIMPSONSWINE.COM
There is just something so sexy about this bottle with its black and flirtatiously glossy pink – it immediately sets the mood. Get the candles lit now. The wine opens to smoke and stone, melts into the lushness of English estate-grown Pinot Noir and has the freshness to keep you lively with its vivacious effervescence.
FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE LOVER
Balfour Brut Rosé 2019 £55 BALFOURWINERY.COM
Sparkling Rosé is the flagship of Hush Heath Estate’s Balfour, originally founded to create an
‘English Billecart-Salmon’ and this new vintage shows English wine’s precision. Zipping with grapefruit and orange zest, the piquant cranberry notes and energetic fizz make this as refreshing as a brisk country walk – ideally through the grounds of orchards, vineyards and woodlands of this beautiful estate.
FOR THOSE WITH A FRESH WAY OF THINKING
AYALA Rosé Majeur NV £46 HARVEY NICHOLLS
Founded in 1860 by the son of a Colombian diplomat, this house has often pioneered new ways of doing things. Before it was as fashionable as it is today, they began creating dry, linear styles with less sugar as far back as the 19th century and now they are renowned for their Chardonnay-driven Champagnes of precision and purity. This refined fizz blooms with fresh strawberries and cherries, perfect for those feeling light at heart. And do remember, if on this day you are celebrating singledom, there is no reason to not treat yourself to a bottle of the good stuff and toast your own glorious self.
This week’s best wine: DUNNOLLY ESTATE PINOT NOIR ROSÉ 2023 – NAKED WINES £14.99
NAKEDWINES.CO.UK
I am sticking on theme for Valentine’s Day and embracing the pink by highlighting this juicy still rosé from New Zealand’s excellent Waipara Valley region. There is so much fruit in these sun-ripened Pinot Noir grapes, balanced by gracefully fresh aromatics and a firm structure that makes this excellent for food pairing. I’d serve this well-chilled with grilled meats like lamb or pork chops.
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