Wine Club Notes:

Year in and year out, one of the most popular wines among Vinesse club members is Stella Rosa.

That’s why we secure a supply each time a new bottling is released.  Stella Rosa is grown near the beautiful village of Santo Stefano Belbo in the Piedmont region of Italy.  There, it’s crafted into a bright and refreshing sparkling wine.

Many people are surprised to learn that sparkling wine is made in Italy, and they’re downright shocked when they hear about a red sparkler from Italy.  The northern Piedmont is the sparkling wine capital of Italy, its cool climate being conducive to growing the grape varieties that make good sparklers.

This is the home of Stella Rosa, a red sparkler meant to be served well chilled and enjoyed with fresh fruit, cheese or brunch fare.  Not as “bubbly” as French Champagne, its effervescence is no less enjoyable, and the wine is simply delightful to drink.  No wonder our members love it so much.

Grape composition: 100% Stella Rosa

Grape Source: Santo Stefano Belbo Area of Italy’s Piedmont Region

Aromas and Flavors: Pomegranate, Crisp Red Pear and a Note of Apple-Rhubarb Pie

My Thoughts:

Ok, I’ll be honest, I blindly reached into the back of the fridge hoping to pull out a Pinot Grigio or a Riesling.  I forgot I had this back there.  So when I opened this my immediate reaction was, “shit, how did a bottle of red end up in the fridge?  Dammit.”  Thinking maybe I thought it was a rose or something I looked closer and this definitely poured a beautifully dark ruby color.  Oh what is that?  Bubbles?  Hmm…interesting.  I wasn’t expecting that.  Alright, maybe this won’t be a complete fail.  And then the first sip, that magical first sip where my immediate thoughts were, “what bubbly fucking Kool-aid bullshit is this?”  Nope, I was not impressed.  Even though I was expecting something totally different, my palate was not braced for this.  I glance at the bottle again where the words “semi-sweet” taunted me.  No, just no.  There are plenty of semi-sweet wines that I find drinkable.  This is most definitely not one of them.

Perhaps if it were 97 degrees out and I was at a party in someone’s backyard I could…no…not even then.  Nope.  Sorry.  The syrupy sweetness is just too much for me.  If super sweet red wines are your thing, then by all means, grab a bottle, make some french toast, throw some fresh fruit on that, and enjoy.  Will I judge you for drinking the sparkling red wine equivalent of Juicy Juice?  Absolutely.

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “It tastes like a fizzy over-sugared children’s drink and it makes my teeth feel fuzzy.” Would I buy it again? NO.  Just…no.  And if someone ever got this for me as a gift I’d immediately assume they hate me.

Final Grade: C-