I’ve always been intrigued by sparkling red wine, but often times it falls short. It’s either very clearly what I call the “just add bubbles” method or just lacking in depth.
But I am very happy to report that we have found some amazing bubbly red wine that will be perfect for your holiday celebrations!
Red Wine
I know this might shock you, but I do enjoy a glass of red wine….without bubbles. I mean, when you live in Oregon, 30 minutes outside of the Willamette Valley, of course, you love pinot noir. And if I can’t get an Oregon pinot noir, then I’ll take a red blend. Take note, if you have never been to Oregon Wine Country, put it on your list.
There’s something about a glass of red wine on a cold fall or winter day that just makes you feel warm and cozy. And now I can replace that with a lovely sparkling red wine because they too are like that perfect hug in a glass.
Sparkling Wine Methods
As you know there are different methods to make bubbly and I mentioned above that the “just add bubbles” method fell short on some of the sparkling red wines we tried. And I began to think if this was the method used, it would just be average, but to my surprise that is not the case at all. It just took some more exploring and lots of tasting to find the good ones.
Serving Sparkling Red Wine
Still red wine that is typically served at room temperature or just slightly above at 55 degrees F. A great tip I learned from St. Julian Winery is the 20 minute rule. Take your bottle of red, put it into the fridge for 20 minutes before serving. This will get it to the perfect temperature.
Sparkling red wine, however, should be chilled just as you would any bubbly.
Sparkling Red Wine
When I first posted about sparkling red wine in August for National Red Wine day, people thought I was making up this sparkling red thing or that bubbly red wine was only on the west coast. And while I have spent a lot of time in Oregon and California exploring wine regions, this isn’t unique to these areas.
It became our mission to find some delicious sparkling red wines that we could have on hand all winter long and, of course, to celebrate the holidays as well.
And we were very successful on that mission. Trust me, you’ll want to get your hands on these. In no particular order, here is the bubbly red wine list.
Varnum Vintners – Porch Party
There is so much to love about this Porch Party in fact I talk all about it here. This bubbly red wine is very reminiscent of the reason I do drink red wine when I do. It’s the perfect blend of fruit, spice and deliciousness.
Just in time for the holidays, these would make the perfect stocking stuffers because they are half bottles. And since they’re only half bottles, you might as well open one and enjoy while you’re wrapping gifts, right?
My only regret is that when I brought these home from my last trip, I only brought home 4 and they were gone before winter hit because they’re so darn good, so definitely learn from my mistake and stock up.
Bel Vino – Sparkling Red Grape Wine
I was very excited to visit Bel Vino and try this sparkling red wine because I had heard so much about it. And when you talk to anyone there, it’s their favorite sparkling.
And I have to agree, of all the bubbly I tried on my visit, this is my favorite. It’s the perfect blend of fruit and pepper and is imported from Italy.
This would definitely be a crowd please during the holidays or of course, a perfect winter day. You can order your bottles here.
Red Top – Rock ’N Red
We visited Red Top Winery on our Southern Michigan Winery tour and the first thing we said when we tasted this was, it would pair so well with dark chocolate. While it’s not considered a dessert wine, it can certainly be used as such especially during the holidays.
We, of course, brought some home and are planning on making some bubbly cocktails with it as well, so if you’re in the area, you might want to grab some bottles to do that. I can’t find a way to order online at the moment….sorry guys!
Argyle Winery – Black Brut
Argyle has always been a favorite of mine for Bubbly especially when I lived in Oregon and it was so easy to pop over for a sparkling wine tasting. I did a full review of Argyle here so you can read all about the Black Brut and my other favorites.
Of all of their bubbly, the Black Brut is my absolute favorite. It’s 100% Pinot Noir and like no other sparkling Pinot Noir you have ever tasted.Black Brut is one of those sparkling wines that I always have stocked in my house. Shop for your own bottle here.
Sokol Blosser – Evolution Sparkling Red
You know that Sokol Blosser is one of my favorites especially the bottle so when they introduced us to the Sparkling Red we were very intrigued. We had it for our girl’s night in and paired it with pizza.
The perfect sparkling red to celebrate any occasion and you can get free shipping by using code: SHIP6VICKI. So you might as well stock up.
And I should mention that they don’t always have these glitter bottles. They do them for special occasions, so while the Sparkling Red is always available to order, the glitter bottle may not be.
Masía de la Vinya – Milenio + Brut
Yes, technically this is not a sparkling red, but it is now! The first time I visited Masía de la Vinya we had a lot of fun creating some new bubbly beverages. This time, I was introduced to the Milenio + Brut and oh my gosh, instant favorite!
Of course, we grabbed some of these bottles to come home and create even more bubbly cocktails with that will be perfect for the holidays. Grab yours today and let’s create some holiday fun together.
Please note: I did include links to order your own supply of bubbly red wine, but keep in mind, not every winery ships to every state due to liquor laws.
Bubbly Red Wine Fails
While I am not going to call these out, as I mentioned, there are several sparkling red wines that we have tried that didn’t make the cut. And here’s the good news, when you encounter a bubbly you don’t love (because life is too short to drink bad bubbly), you can always try to redeem it by turning it into a bubbly cocktail.
If you’re not in the cocktail making mood, you can always cook/bake with it. You know we have been having a lot of fun baking with bubbly. It’s making our baked goods light and fluffy and oh so good.
So, don’t dump out the bad bubbly, put it to good use.
Are there any other sparkling red wines I need to try and add to the list? Please let me know!
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