If you’re not sick of the color pink just yet, I have a special treat for you to try this week in honor of Valentine’s Day.
No, it’s not pink champagne, but something just as refreshing and a wonderful accompaniment to the treats you’ll be sharing with your sweetheart next week.
This week, I am drinking Banfi Rosa Regale (2006), a delicious sparkling red wine made from 100% Brachetto grapes grown only in the Piedmont region of Italy. With a beautiful light ruby red color, Rosa Regale will bring out the sweetness in those truffles you’ve been saving all your points for. You can pop this open like any bottle of champagne because it is a sparkling wine so you won’t be missing out on any of the theatrics perfectly suited for a special occasion like Valentine’s Day.
Rosa Regale is elegant and very aromatic. A floral bouquet on the nose leads to intense fruit flavor on the palette. There is a lot of red fruit in every sip-think strawberries, raspberries, cherries and a slight hint of honey. While it won’t grant you immortality, there is a sweet ambrosia-like quality in the wine and the carbonation is not overwhelming at all. With an alcohol level of only 7%, go ahead and indulge in a few glasses. I’d pair this with a rich chocolate mousse or a strawberry cheesecake, but it’s so light & refreshing that you could serve with fruit & appetizers, as well as the perfect wine to pick up for a hot summer’s day brunch. For those of you in the anti-Valentine’s Day spirit, grab a six pack and sit tight … St. Patty’s Day is right around the corner.
You can find Rosa Regale ($19.99) and a wide selection of other wines at Astor Wines & Spirits at 399 Lafayette Street, NYC.
