Behind the Cork™ - Ultraviolet Sparkling Rosé

Ultraviolet Sparkling Rosé ($24.99)

This Ultraviolet sparkling rosé is from Poe Wines, in Napa, which was founded by Samantha Sheehan in 2009 after being inspired by the wines she tasted in Burgundy and Champagne. Their goal “is not to replicate Burgundy, but rather create alluring, vineyard specific, age-worthy wines revealing the beautiful terroir of California. There is minimal intervention, judicious use of sulfur, and never any additives.”

This sparkling Rosé is made from Pinot Noir grown at Manchester Ridge vineyard in Mendocino Ridge - 2000' above Anderson Valley. It is made in the Charmat method by allowing the still Rosé to ferment a second time in a closed pressurized tank for the bubbles to form.

This Ultraviolet sparkling rosé is a beautiful salmon color with a very delicate nose. On the palate it has wonderful flavors of raspberries and strawberries with a slight citrus note. It has a light sparkle from the fine bubbles, refreshing acidity and a hint of minerality on the finish.

This is a really nice dry sparkling rosé that’s a great fit for Behind the Cork™. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster 401 West Communications, STOMPY and Poe Wines

Not All Rosé Wine is Sweet

I’ve heard it over and over - “I don’t drink rosé…it’s too sweet.” But, that’s not always the case.

Unfortunately, rosé wine’s reputations got ruined in the 1970s with wines such as Mateus, Lancers and especially White Zinfandel. Those are the stereotype rosé wines. And, yes, they were more like strawberry soda pop (hence its popularity). Not that there is anything wrong with strawberry soda or that style of white Zinfandel, it’s just that not all rosé wines are sweet. In fact, most bottles of rosé wine being sold today are not actually sweet.

While our brain naturally associates fruit aromas and flavors with sweetness, they are often not directly associated with each other when it comes to wine. Many rosé wines have aromas and flavors of tropical fruits (pineapple, mango) and red fruits (strawberries, cherries, cranberries, raspberries). These wine flavors and aromas may be processed and interpreted by your brain as being “sweet.” But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is sweet.

For a wine to be sweet, it must have sugar in it. In the wine world, it’s referred to as residual sugars (RS). That is, natural sugar from the grape’s juice that is not converted to alcohol during fermentation. But, most wines on the store shelf are “Dry” meaning they have a very small amount of residual sugar (1-10 g/L RS).

Today you can find a lot of very nice dry rosés being produced around the world. So try a dry rosé. They are actually not sweet. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Viña Real Rosado

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2019 Viña Real Rosado ($14)

This Viña Real Rosado is from the Rioja region of Spain.

It’s a blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Viura grapes. They were placed into stainless steel vats and, following several hours of skin contact, the vats were drained, without pressing the grapes. This was then fermented for 20-25 days. In this way the primary aromas of the grapes were retained. The wine was then bottled and allowed to rest for a short time before its release to market.

This Viña Real Rosado is rosie-red in color with a touch of salmon. On the nose it has floral notes along with strawberry and hints of ripe stone fruits such as peach and apricot. On the palate this rosé is delicate with a long, fruit driven finish.

This Viña Real is a great rosé to enjoy on one of these beautiful Spring or Summer days. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White, Donna White Communications


Behind the Cork™ - Hess Select Rosé

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2019 Hess Select Rosé ($12)

Spring is just a little more than a week away and it’s time to start thinking about Rosé. Warmer days make rosé the perfect pairing with it’s bright fruit and thirst quenching acidity.

This Hess Select Rosé is a great match for Springtime fare.

To retain the bright fruit flavors of this rosé, it was fermented in stainless steel. According to winemaker Dave Guffy, this was done “…in order to accentuate the wine’s naturally crisp and expressive flavors. Bright and bursting with notes of red berries and stone fruit, this wine delivers a perfect element of acidity on it elegant finish.”

This Hess Select Rosé has wonderful flavors of strawberry and Maraschino cherry and a finish that gently fades away.

Hess Select Rosé is a tasty wine that’s affordable and attainable and a great fit for a Behind the Cork™ wine of the week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White, Donna White Communications