Fizzy and Flirty: Pink Santa Barbara Sparkling Wines Perfect for Valentine’s Day

The mechanics behind making sparkling wine look pink are pretty straightforward. You’ve got to use red grapes, of course – pinot noir, if you’re going to be traditional, though many local winemakers are also flirting with grapes like grenache and syrah. The longer the red skin contact with the juice, the more intense the rosy hue.

But there’s nothing mundane about the sensations conjured up by a delicious bubbly rosé: the chill on the glass that melts to the warmth of her fingertips, the rush of effervescence that fans the beating of her heart and that pretty pink tint that, if you’ve played your cards right, blushes just as much as she does.

Impressing the one you love on Valentine’s Day is never an easy task, but these five pink Santa Barbara sparklers will help.

Carhartt “Venture” Nat/E Boi Sparkling Rosé ($30)

If you’re looking for a traditional bubbly, look elsewhere. The same fun, edgy approach that’s made Carhartt one of the hippest wine brands in Santa Barbara spills into this brand new sparkling wine project. Made using a technique called Methode Ancestrale, also known as Pet-Nat, this wine bends a lot of rules.  No yeast. No sulphur. And no disgorgement, meaning no solids are removed, resulting in a naturally hazier beverage. “The whole concept of a ‘natural wine’ for me is to produce something with the least intervention possible,” writes winemaker Brooke Carhartt in her February wine club newsletter. She made the wine with her 30-year-old son, Chase, using grenache grown on the family farm by her husband, Mike. Forgoing the cork for a crown cap and showing off tangerine cream aromas and citrusy berry flavors, “it’s just a bottle of fun,” says the elder Carhartt, “and people are just lapping it up.” It’s an instant hit, too: less than 15 of the 45 cases released just last week remain in Carhartt’s Los Olivos tasting room. carharttvineyard.com

2016 Fess Parker Winery Fesstivity Brut Rosé ($49)

This release is also brand new: it was disgorged just last month after almost two ears en tirage, which is time that bubbly spends in bottle, in contact with yeast, during its secondary fermentation.  “The 2016 vintage, in general, are the best sparkling wines we’ve made under the Fesstivity label,” says winemaker Blair Fox, who makes the sparkling wines following strict traditional methods inside the Fess Parker facility along Foxen Canyon Road. The superlative 2016 bubblies, the young label’s fourth vintage, are the result of continual “fine-tuning in our winemaking process,” he adds, as well as “expert vineyard operations.” Fruit for the all-pinot noir sparkler came from the family’s Parker West vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, which was planted by Fox himself, and a harvest at low sugars led to a wine with bright acidity and zest. Grapefruit aromas, raspberry flavors and a pretty soft pink color make for a lovely sipping experience. fessparker.com

2016 Toccata Sparkling Rosato ($35)

This one’s inspired more by prosecco than Champagne, since it comes from Lucas & Lewellen’s sister label with an Italian spin, Toccata. Pinot grigio grown on the brand’s Los Alamos Vineyard, one of its three estate vineyards, is predominant, which gives this bubbly brightness, liveliness and an easy-drinking vibe. Credit a squelch of dolcetto for the rosy color – it leans more crimson than pink – and a splash of malvasia bianca for the floral aromatics. Made by winemaker Megan McGrath-Gates, this wine is fizzy, fruity and fun. Find it at the Toccata tasting room in the heart of downtown Solvang. llwine.com

2016 Riverbench Cork Jumper Brut Rosé ($48)

Riverbench launched its sparkling wine program in 2008 with 200 cases. Driven by demand, annual production of various different bubblies is now at 3500 cases. The Brut Rosé is all pinot noir and grown in the estate vineyard nestled in the Santa Maria Valley. The flushed hue is striking. “After we make the base wine, some of the color drops off during fermentation,” says general manager Laura Booras,” so we add a few gallons of still red wine toward the end to get that pretty pink color.” The wine is made to be less bready or yeasty than a traditional Champagne and, rather, in a style that drives acidity and freshness. Discover bright red fruit and rose petal aromas and strawberry flavors with a touch of lime zest. Booras says it best: “This is a very romantic wine.” riverbench.com

2015 Flying Goat Cellars Rosé ($42)

If there’s a pioneer in the realm of Santa Barbara sparkling winemaking, it’s Norm Yost. The man behind the Flying Goat label went fizzy 15 years ago and, today, produces no less than five sparklers each vintage. The Rosé is the workhorse, the most popular in the lineup, to the tune of 300 cases a year. The fruit – pinot noir clone 23, a Champagne clone, “with thick skins and big berries,” says the winemaker – comes from Solomon Hills Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley and produces a lively sipper with berry and watermelon flavors and a dash of spice. Yost, whose Lompoc Wine Ghetto tasting room features a sparkling wine-exclusive bar, touts the wine’s food friendliness. “I like a good, dry, hard cheese with it, or salmon on the grill, or a white meat like pork tenderloin,” he says. “Its great acidity makes a it a great palate cleanser, and its lower alcohol (12.5%) lets you have an extra glass with less worry.” flyinggoatcellars.com

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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