This is “POP or FLOP”, where we taste test sparkling wines so you don’t have to! (Tough job, we know! 😉) This week we’re sippin’ on Fielding Estate Winery's NV Sparkling Rosé, from the beautiful Beamsville Bench (located on the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario, Canada). You know we love our Canadian sparkling wine... and have gone coast to coast in search of the best bubbly being produced in the world's second largest country! 🇨🇦 So, where does this sparkling rosé rank? And is it a bottle of bubbles you should POP? 💁 Or is it a FLOP? 🙅 Let’s see!
For the number of times that we've been out in Wine Country Ontario, Fielding Estate Winery was one we didn't get a chance to visit until recently. In fact, it was in the heart of winter... fresh snow on the ground, our Mini Cooper full of wine and our snow tires struggling to get us up the bench where the winery sits majestically. If you're wondering, the Muskoka chair prominently displayed on the label sits out all winter... luckily next to a fire pit! Searching for the Fielding Sparkling Rosé we fell in love with at last year's Cuvée Grand Tasting, we were disappointed to learn that it had sold out. (No surprise, spoiler alert: it's amazing). But luckily for us, a brand new batch was just recently disgorged and released! You could say, we've got our rosé coloured glasses back on now! 😎
With the bad puns out of the way, let's talk about Fielding Estate Winery. Founded by the Fielding family and headed by Curtis, the winery sits in a cozy location, overlooking Beamsville, rolling hills, and beautiful Lake Ontario. Winemaker Richie Roberts joined the Fielding team in the mid-2000's, bringing with him a sense of innovation. Within the first five years of opening (and again in 2013) Fielding Estate Winery was named one of Canada's Top 10 Wineries and, at the same time, Curtis Fielding was named Grape King for the 2012/13 season in Niagara!
Why the heck did we wait so long to visit!? We have no idea. But we were blown away by the award winning wines and amazing hospitality. So by now you're probably thinking... how's the Fielding Sparkling Rosé?! Well, one more paragraph, and you'll know! 😉
The grapes for this sparkling come from two plots of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, harvested by the Fielding team early enough in the season to achieve a base wine with moderate alcohol and high-enough acidity. Fielding picks the grapes by hand and they are whole-cluster pressed, with cold fermentation taking place in tanks and neutral French oak barrels. The “cuvée” (a fancy wine word for "blend") was created and secondary fermentation took place in bottle, which aged on its lees for an average of one year prior to riddling and disgorging.
Now that we have those specs out of the way, without further ado...
Appearance 👀
- Persistent, fine bubbles that dance in the glass. The pale rose colour, with a hint of salmon, offers an inviting gateway to enjoying this wine. Let's dive in!
Aroma 👃
- On the nose we were greeted by an explosion of fresh red fruit – juicy strawberry, sour cherry, and cranberry. With hints of pink grapefruit zest and crisp red apple, complimented by faint herbal notes and a distinctive minerality.
Flavour 👅
- The palate was bursting with tart cherry, strawberry, and red currant. Fresh and vibrant, with a gorgeous creamy mouthfeel, racy acidity, and lingering grapefruit finish. It goes down almost too easy. 😜
Food Pairing 🍽
- A nice patio spot, with a turkey club sandwich and frites! Or a nice fresh ceviche... or mahi mahi tacos.... or a big red Muskoka chair and another glass!
The Verdict? 💁
- It’s … a POP! The Fielding Sparkling Rosé is the perfect summer sparkler. From the patio to the dinner table, it's really all you need! Whether you pair it with some Muskoka chairs and good conversation by the lake, or with a fancy Sunday night supper with fresh East Coast oysters – these pink bubbles are eager and easy to please! Just make sure to keep a second bottle on ice in your cooler or chilled in the fridge... we can guarantee your guests will be asking for a refill!
Fielding Sparkling Rosé
$29.95
About the Author
