The Rosé Alternative
Grab a sparkling red wine for charcuterie, dessert and more
When spring and summer hit, rosé is usually the wine on everyone's lips, but this year go bolder and fizzier for your picnic and barbecue with a sparkling red. We're seeing more Italian Lambrusco and Brachetto, French Gamay and Australian sparkling Shiraz on menus and in shops all over town, and we found some of the best.
Ranging from bone-dry to sweet, good red sparklers have balanced acid, big fruit flavors and lots of palate-cleansing bubbles, which makes them great food-friendly wines. And local sommeliers agree: At Church & State, Josh Goldman offers Terres Dorées FRV100 ($12/glass; $48/bottle) effervescent Gamay to go with chef Walter Manzke's homemade galantines, pâtés and rillettes; at Osteria Mozza, David Rosoff says the dry Medici Ermete Quercioli 'Secco' Lambrusco ($36; pictured) is the "only thing to drink with salumi." The sweeter wines are best with desserts (think strawberry season).
Here are few more for the picnic basket (serve chilled):
NV Vin du Bugey-Cerdon 'La Cueille' Patrick Bottex ($23) This fragrant, slightly sweet wine is made exclusively from Gamay and bursts with strawberry flavor. It's perfect with ripe cheeses or fruit desserts. (klwines.com)
NV Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz/Viognier ($19) It's fizzy and spicy with gobs of bramble fruit like blackberries and raspberries. Randy Clemens from Silverlake Wines calls it "liquid crack." (silverlakewine.com)
2007 Braida di Giacomo Bologna Brachetto d'Acqui ($27) From Italy's Piedmont, this lovely aromatic wine isn't too sweet, but lush with ripe strawberry fruit flavor. (wallywine.com)
Anna Spinato 'Rabose' Roboso Frizzante ($9 glass) This dry, ruby-hued wine has hints of raspberry and strawberry; try it with Delancey's bruschetta. Delancey, 5936 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; 323-469-2100 or delanceyhollywood.com
