Something to Wine About: Sparkling Pointe Carnaval Rosé

Are you ready to celebrate springing into summer with bubbles but not ready to spring for the price of a rosé champagne? Try Sparkling Pointe’s Carnaval Rosé.

Sparkling Pointe Carnaval Rosé

This bright, and lively bubbly, $36, is the perfect way to celebrate the change of season without hurting your wallet.

The wine is produced in the Methode Traditionnelle. This means the wine is produced in the same painstakingly time-consuming, traditional process used in the Champagne region of France where the second fermentation occurs in the bottle in order to produce bubbles. But it isn’t the only method used to produce bubbles in wine. Prosecco, for example, is produced using the charmat or tank method, where the secondary fermentation is carried out in a tank. Some less expensive wines even use forced carbon dioxide.

In the Champagne region of France, the traditional method is required. And the varietals allowed in the wines are regulated. Primarily only three varietals are used to produce champagne: chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. Some allowed but lesser-used varietals are pinot blanc, pinot gris, petit meslier and arbane. However, here in the United States no such regulations exist. This allows winemakers, including Sparkling Pointe’s Gilles Martin, the freedom to use whichever varietals they believe will create the best sparkler.

For Sparkling Pointe’s Carnaval Rosé, Martin used 50% pinot noir, 41% chardonnay and 9% merlot. The fermentation was done in stainless steel with the second bottle fermentation in the bottle for 18 months.

The nose on this wine has notes of black cherry and raspberry. Both black cherry and raspberry are present on the palate as well. The finish is described perfectly in the winemaker’s tasting notes: Highlights of strawberry shortcake and fruit preserve drive to a bright, clean finish.

Visit sparklingpointe.com for more information on Sparkling Pointe wines.