Never heard of sparkling red wine? Ok, heard of it but never tried it? Well now is the time friends and we’ve got you covered. This past week we introduced the newest wine to our LOLA lineup, LOLA Nero Sparkling Red VQA and we can’t wait to share it with you!
Lambrusco, from Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy in Italy may be the first sparkling red wine that comes to mind but there’s been a resurgence in interest and popularity in Australia and the Americas in recent years.
The Secret Behind the Sparkle
The wines are rarely made in traditional Champagne (bottle fermented) style, rather they are typically Charmat (tank fermented), as in the case with Lola Nero Sparkling Red VQA. (For more on methods of making sparkling wines, check out our blog “The Difference Between the Bubbles.”
The styles can range from dry to sweet and a wide range of grape varieties can be used but much like sparkling white wines, that process begins in the vineyard with an earlier harvest than still wines.
LOLA Nero Red Sparkling VQA is comprised primarily of Chambourcin and Pinot Noir. Chambourcin, a French hybrid grape variety, produces a deep-coloured and aromatic wine. It can be made into a dry style or one with a moderate residual sugar level. Most red wines are served at room temperature to bring out the flavour. However, some Chambourcin wines have flavours well complimented by being served chilled.
Pinot Noir is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine. The thin skins and low levels of phenolic compounds lends Pinot Noir to producing mostly lightly coloured, medium-bodied and low-tannin wines red fruit aromas of cherries, raspberries and strawberries. These two grapes add depth of colour to bubbles on the pour.
Time to Chill
LOLA Nero Red Sparkling VQA is best served chilled. Whether that’s storing in the fridge or a special wine fridge or letting stand to chill in a bucket of ice. We suggest the ice bucket as a must for dining alfresco. Which is the other of our suggestions.
Time to Eat
Super food friendly, LOLA Nero Sparkling Red VQA lends it to a variety of foods.
Charcuterie – cold meats such as salami, prosciutto, mortadella and bresaola and porchetta. Along with rich aged cheeses. The fats in these meats dance with the bubbles of a sparkling red.
Pizza – red sauce and toppings of our choice make a perfect pairing for this style of wine. Here’s one of our favourites Easy Roasted Veggie Pizza from The Café Sucre Farine.
Italian Sausage with Fennel – Make this simple fennel-scented sausage to toss into pasta or onto pizza. Summer favourite, bring on a picnic with fresh local corn on the cob.
Grilled chicken, lamb or pulled pork or even a burger or steak.
Asian Food – like this Sticky Orange Chicken from Delish.
And make sure you have some on hand for Thanksgiving this fall! It will go beautifully with your turkey dinner.
Cheers!
Pssttt… Don’t forget while you’re here to sign up for our Birthday Club and receive a $20 Gift Voucher for your Birthday!