Champagne Rosé

We at VintoVino tested nearly 20 Champagne Rose labels, in the process we looked into often heard queries like why champagnes rose are more expensive than normal champagnes; answer because it’s a scarce market, we at VintoVino believe it’s not more expensive to produce than normal champagnes.

Champagnes rose are made scarce by the vineyards and merchant to give it an exclusive character. There are two kinds of Champagnes rose are Laurent Perrier and Moet Chandon the “richer” are Charles Heidsieck, Taittinger and Gosset, Sommeliers and chefs de cuisines advise “fine” labels for Apperitivo purpose and “richer” to complement the meals.

There was a time that Champagne rose resembled soda lemonade beverages but these times have gone. Of course it could still be suggested that lobster or veal tongue among other pair very well with for example a Roederer. (available on VintoVino) Champagnes Roses especially in Europe are still associated with let’s say the world of call girls and courtisanes but this has changed for the better and these days many to parties invited guests surprise their hosts with a tasty bottle of champagne rose.

Sometime ago I surprised my wife with a champagne bottle completed “dressed up” in a tightly fitting shiny red leather laque corset with leather laces in all, it was given to me as a gift by a befriended restaurant owner who kept it as a kind of stylish decoration in a more seclude section of his restaurant, the champagne was expected to be rose but was not! It was disassociating this “sexy” bottle form the atmosphere usually created by champagne rose. We both felt at the time that this bottle almost made a kind of statement that all champagnes rose, sec, brut, demi, sec, etc. should all be valued on its own special taste, quality charm whatever its container and/or surroundings its served in.

Of course champagne is only champagne when its grape are originated from the Champagne region and the champagne is produced AOC controlled in this region, all other whatever their excellence are imitations, not more than that, the term method champagnoise is also used to cover up this problem, meaning the bubbling wine has been produced elsewhere according to the methods practiced in the Champagne region in France, so Reims, Epernay etc…

Even names of well know and world renowned champagne producers are “imitated” once I met a wine merchant in downtown Sao Paulo who gave his company the suggestive name “Chandon”…

The following 3 tips will help you when exploring for sparkling wines on VintoVino.com

Some small note based on experiences I had:

1. If you by a champagne and you drink in company of other champagne lovers always try to get the magnum or even larges bottles, they contain more champagne and price wise that should be an advantage – usually you must convince the wine merchant of this basic economic truth – and apart from that the taste is better than in normal smaller bottles;
2. My favorite champagne is Krug, magnum. Why? The elegance of the bottle and its unsurpassed throughout the last decades maintained quality and exclusive finesse…. even it’s bubbles are elegant.
3. If you look for rose wines check into Chateau Neuf du Pape, Cote de Rhone region for the very best and in Bandol, Provence for the best price quality ratios.

M.J. San Martin