Back 10 Cellars Smitten Sparkling – Review

This is “POP or FLOP”, where we taste test sparkling wines so you don’t have to! This week we’re sipping Back 10 Cellars Smitten Sparkling! Is this a bottle of bubbles you should POP? 💁 Or is it a FLOP? 🙅 Let’s see…

 

 

The Smitten Sparkling is produced by Back 10 Cellars in Ontario, Canada. Back 10 began as dream in a cafe in 1999 – how romantic is that? As luck would have it, the future owners came across a plot of land in quaint Beamsville and founded the winery. Not only that, but they founded Crush on Niagara Wine Tours, which just so happened to be the first organized tour in Niagara we ever went on! Guess we go way back, and we didn’t even know it! Back 10 is also fanatical about Riesling, and the winemaker is passionate about hand picking the grapes. It should be no surprise then that the Smitten Sparkling is made from the first pressing of the best Riesling grapes, the premium juice of which is then fermented in the Charmat process into an appealing, approachable wine. So, was the Smitten Sparkling a swipe right, or a swipe left? Read on to find out!

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Appearance

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  • Pale straw in colour, with a vivacious effervescence. We’re smitten at first sight! 😍

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Aroma

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  • A nose full of ripe orchard fruit (yellow apple and bartlett pear) and honeydew melon. Hints of citrus (lemon/lime) and fleshy stone fruit (peach).

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Flavour

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  • Light bodied, with a hint of sweetness on the palate. Vibrant acidity and a touch of minerality. Full of fresh fruit flavour – juicy apple and pear!

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Food Pairing

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  • Pair this wine with someone that you’re smitten with – duh! 😜 But seriously, Smitten is Riesling based, making it an extremely versatile and food friendly wine. The hint of sweetness bodes very well with spicy dishes, so spice things up and pair it with a pad thai or carnitas tacos – because what on this earth is better than wine and tacos?! The high acidity and bubbles help to cleanse the palate between bites, so you can can swoop in for a 💋 with your date if need be! 😏

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The Verdict?

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  • It’s a POP! We love that the Smitten Sparkling is a lovely Charmat bubbly that is appealing, approachable and easy to love! 😍 This aromatic wine is a definite swipe right (which means we love it!) – and we feel lucky to have tried it as Back 10 Cellars only made 250 cases in 2016. We need to grab a few more bottles for the summer!

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Back 10 Cellars Smitten Sparkling 2016

$24.95

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