Other Sparkling Rosé
2015: Gold 4 Silver 7 Bronze 4 Commended 9
2014: Gold 3 Silver 8 Bronze 6 Commended 5
Last year, non-champagne rosés outperformed their better-known French counterparts. And despite an improved performance for pink champagne in 2015, the same happened again this year. Essentially, continental fizz and the odd New World offering came in at the cheaper end, with English rosé taking charge from £16 upwards. There were, naturally, a few reservations about how easy it is to sell non-champagne sparklers, but with average prices half those from north-east France, this was a hugely popular category with our tasters.
FOOTNOTE: Includes all sparkling rosés other than champagne and those that are frizzante, semi-sweet or have a lower abv.
From the Tasting Teams
‘There were some very good examples here to put on by the glass. I’m looking for light, elegant styles, with a blend of refreshing acidity and beautiful fruit, as an aperitif, with a richer, fuller-bodied style to compliment this.’ Andrea Fasan, La Petite Maison
‘Sometimes people need guiding to these wines, so the quality has to be good once they get there.’ Gus Gluck, Vinoteca King’s Cross
‘Some really stood out for the quality at the price, especially when compared with the prices for champagne. Non-champagne sparkling can be a hard sell, but if you flag up the quality, hand sell and put the wines on by the glass you will build a following.’ James Hocking, The Vineyard Group
‘Everyone orders champagne as an aperitif, but to be able to offer a sparkling wine with the meal is a bit more innovative.’ Debbie Smith, 21212
‘The medal winners were excellent wines, and most of them were at a very good price as well. With food, we could be talking fish carpaccios, or even richer dishes.’ Vittorio Gentile, Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel
‘The wines which scored highly here were typically the cheaper ones. When we got to the pricier wines, they didn’t always justify those high prices.’ Robert Tozser, The Rib Room