I'll taste them all so you don't have to!

Monday, January 3, 2011

2009 Regali Rosa Banfi Brachetto D'acqui

The day before New Years Eve, my guy and I were strolling around Market Street (an upscale grocery store) in Frisco, TX hoping to find a festive sparkling wine that would spice up our next day's celebrations. We stumbled upon the Regali Rosa: an unusually deep rose-colored sparkler marked down ten dollars from $24.99 to $14.99.  The surprisingly spare black label and interesting color persuaded us to indulge our curiosity and give the wine a try.  (And we were making mussels, which are awesome paired with the crisp zip of carbonation.)


Our intuitions proved excellent.  After my guy opened the bottle party-trick style with a steak knife, (don't try this at home- it involves a large, sharp object and wastes wine!)  we poured two glasses of the vino and gave it a whirl.  The nose on the Brachetto D'acqui was beautiful and zesty, if a little too cloyingly sweet.  It smelled of fresh dark berries and had a tangy, acidic note almost like sweet/sour candy.  The first sip was simple and delicious.  This fizzy guy makes for incredibly easy drinking.  It's like wine/berry/candy/soda with 13% alcohol.  Not bad for a bubbly hmm?  The great thing about the Regali Rosa is that it's actually dry!  The fruity sweetness is kind of combated by the dryness and acidity, leaving a nicely balanced bubbler that slides down super easy.  My one note of caution: when buying, make sure you have more than one bottle on hand.  You're going to want it!





Technical Info:

Varietal: 100% Brachatto 
Alcohol: 13% 
Origin: Piedmont, Italy
Price: $14-24 at Whole Foods, Market Street, and wine shops.
Rachel's Grade: A-/B+  For the low end price, this gets an A-, if you're paying over $20, B+.  Regardless, a very fun wine to drink!  This sparkler makes a great aperitif or dessert wine (going especialllllly well with dark chocolate).  For a light red, Regali Rosa is extraordinarily fruity, sweet, and delicious.  If you happen to stumble upon it, don't hesitate.  Find something to celebrate and pop that bottle!

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