Yesterday was one of those perfect summer afternoons with temperatures in the low 80’s, sunny, slightly breezy… basically the perfect day to be outside. For me, when the weather is this nice I love nothing more than to just relax in my backyard, in the sun, while enjoying the company of good friends, over a nice glass of wine. A girlfriend of mine also shares my passion for good weather, good food, and good wine so we decided to celebrate the day together and have a “girls' day” which consisted of us catching up in my backyard, in the sun, drinking yes, bubbles! She brought the food and I provided the bubbles and the setting. It is fitting that the only bottle I actually had chilled in my fridge is quite appropriately what I believe to be the perfect girls' night wine!
The Occasion: “Girls' Day/Night” Wine
Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé
Crémant d'Alsace is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for sparkling wines within France, but outside of the Champagne region, made by la méthode traditionnelle (someday I will write about the beautiful, time consuming, expensive, and labor intensive process involved in the traditional method of making sparkling wine in Champagne... which is one of the many reasons why I have such an obsession with said beverage. There are many rules, regulations, and practices for this method, but for now just know that this wine abides by the “traditional” form of making sparkling wine, whereby secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle).
The first thing to note is the beautiful salmon pink color of this sparkler. Visually, it is indeed a very pretty wine from the get go. This wine has a fragrant nose of fresh strawberries, cranberries, and cherries followed by a rich and creamy mouthfeel with a crisp, dry, and lingering finish. For under $20 this wine is solid with good balance, structure and elegance with long lasting bubbles.
Winery: Lucien Albrecht
Region: Alsace region of France
Style of wine: Brut Rosé, Dry Sparkling Wine
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Retail: $19.00
Alcohol: 12%
Where to find: Widely available
Occasions for drinking this wine: Girls' night! Okay, you really don’t need to be having a “girls' night” to drink this wine. It is indeed great for all occasions where a great bottle of value priced bubbles are involved ☺
Since I purchased this bottle for less than $20 I think it also qualifies for one of my great summer value wines!
Bubbles or no bubbles, there is something truly special about getting to spend an afternoon with a good friend, catching up, laughing, eating, and drinking together. And to top off our ladies night, once the sun went down we moved indoors and watched “The Sweetest Thing” (yes, I will admit it… I am a big fan of Christina Applegate, thank you very much!). Good friend + good bubbles + a chick flick… was a good night indeed.
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