Five Great Sparkling Wines For Valentine's Day
It's that time of year when we all get a bit romantic and think about treating our loved ones to something special for Valentine's day. Flowers or chocolates are a usual favourite, but for something really classy then it has to be a good bottle of fizz. We have a huge range of sparkling wines and Champagne which are priced to suit all pockets, the great thing about them is that they are best shared! We have picked out some of our favourites with an emphasis on some great rosé Champagnes.
If you don't fancy a bottle of fizz then we also have some more personal favourites amongst our Valentine's selection on the website. Sláinte!
This is our top Prosecco and is made from the best grapes available at La Farra. These are sourced from Farra di Soligo and S. Pietro di Feletto hills with 100% of the harvest being made up of the Glera grape (previously simply known as Prosecco). The more favourable vineyard sites lend this wine a more flavoursome palate and richer bouquet than expected meaning it is well suited to drinking with food. It is still elegant enough to drink on its own and would make a great Bellini cocktail.
Rosé Cava is pretty rare and it is even rarer to find one that is made from the noble Pinot Noir variety. Juve Y Camps are regarded as one of the best makers of Cava and for their rose they source the Pinot Noir grapes from their 'L'Oliverar' vineyard. The grapes are gently pressed and the free run juice is drawn of for fermentation. It is a traditional method sparkling in which the second fermentation takes place in the bottle (as done in Champagne). This is a dry rosé that works really well when paired with salmon and charcuterie meats.
One of our favourite Rosé Champagnes, from one of our favourite producers. This is made from grapes exclusively sourced from Premier Cru vineyards. The blend is made up of 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier and 10% Chardonnay. The rosé colour comes from the blending of 10% red Champagne wine into the white base wines. This method allows for consistency when using different vintage components and gives a wine with less tannins and better refinement. This was recently ranked top 5 in Wine and Spirits Magazine Rose tasting ahead of Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger, Roederer and many other top Crus.
A highly rated Rosé that is consistently outstanding. This is also blended from Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir is fermented as a red wine wine and added to turn the base wines into a rosé. If we were all millionaires this could well be the staple for everyday drinking, instead it is best chosen for special occasions such as Valentine's day.
Pretty much unknown in Ireland, this is a small label from the same people who make Cattier Champagne and the hugely expensive Armand de Brignac Champagnes. This is sourced from a walled single vineyard called the Clos du Moulin and is made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Each bottling is sourced from three different vintages, this time round it is from 2004, 2005 and 2006. It is simply fantastic and has amazing ageing potential, but why wait, go on and enjoy it now!
