Wine Blogging Wednesday 80: Dry Rosé

This is my first attempt at a Wine Blogging Wednesday post, so I have no idea if I’m doing it right.  I did a quick search for #WBW on Twitter and got a ton of hits for World Breastfeeding Week . . . and, while I certainly support breast feeding, I’m waaaaaay past that stage of my life.  On a creepier note, I also got a bunch of hits for some flavor of selfie nonsense called White Boy Wednesday.  Um, no.  Shudder.

So I read the rules again over at Winecast, and the correct hashtag thingy is #WBW80.  The 80 is important.  Phew. Because I’m pretty sure the White Boy Wednesday crew is the wrong audience for Dry Rosé.

So drumroll, please . . . here is the Dry Rosé I selected for #WBW80:

Jaume Serra Cristalino – Rosé  Brut
Cristalino Brut is my go-to Mimosa mixer and my favorite “budget” picnic bubbles.  You just can’t beat it for $7.  That said, I’ve walked past the Brut Rosé a million times, and a million times I passed.  For no particular reason.  So I decided WBW80 was the perfect reason to pick up a bottle.  And you know what?  This doesn’t suck.  Have I had better Brut Rosé?  Duh. But did I mention this was $7??!?  For $7, this is all that and a bag of chips.  Seriously.  How does Jaume Serra do this for $7??  Bright, refreshing and tart.  Strawberries and pomegranate with a creamy finish.  Not at all sweet – hallelujah.

I’m sure you all remember Cristalino got a mandatory facelift a couple of years ago after French Champagne house Louis Roederer sued Cristalino for being too similar.  I always thought the name was a fun play on words.  We’d have guests over and I’d announce we were having Cristal . . . ino.  I understand Cristal didn’t want its brand diluted.  I get it.  But the idea that consumers could somehow confuse the two brands was a little insulting.  I don’t know about you, but I never had much trouble telling the difference between a $7 bottle of Cava and a $200 bottle of Champagne.

I paired the Cristalino Brut Rosé with a Chopped Caprese Salad.  Heirloom tomatoes are at their peak this time of year.  The uglier the tomato, the better it tastes.  This is my take on Caprese Salad.  It’s just chopped fresh tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, chopped fresh basil, a little bit of olive oil and a drizzle of white balsamic vinegar.  Oh, and basil salt.  Basil Salt is amazing.

Mmmm . . . really enjoyed this pairing.  This match is going into wine pairing rotation!

Happy Wine Blogging Wednesday!

Salud!