Ever wondered how a California wine can call itself “champagne”? Unravel the fascinating tale of the Korbel California Brut Rosé Champagne with Domain Dave from CheapWineFinder.com. Listen as we embark on a sparkling adventure, exploring why this $11.99 bottle is not only easy on the wallet but also has a place in Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 wines under $20. Dave shares the intriguing history of Korbel, explaining how it earned the right to use the prestigious “champagne” label, all while highlighting its balanced and zestful flavor profile.
Join us for an episode brimming with bubbly insights perfect for your holiday celebrations. Dave’s expert guidance will take you through the unique blend of grapes—Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Gamay, and Chenin Blanc—that give this wine its standout character. Whether you’re hosting a festive gathering or enjoying a quiet New Year’s toast, discover why the Korbel California Brut Rosé Champagne deserves a spot at your party. With over 140 years of winemaking expertise, the Korbel family’s creation promises to surprise and delight without breaking the bank.
Check us out at http://www.cheapwinefinder.com
or email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com
0:04
Welcome Domain Dave again for CheapWineFindercom with another wine review. This is the holiday season. We're doing bubblies, and trying to do some affordable bubblies, ones that can go for a party or just could be good enough for New Year's Eve. You don't have to spend a fortune and what we have today is the Corbel California Brut Rose Champagne and yeah, you heard me say champagne because, typically speaking, if it's not from Champagne France you can't call it champagne, but Corbel can. In 2006, champagne Region went to California and tried to enforce their trademark Because there, you know, champagne is made from grapes, from Champagne and inside Champagne. But Corbel has been around since 1882, I believe, and they got grandfathered in and they make Champagne-style wines, got grandfathered in and they make champagne style wines, so they can call themselves champagne, much to the chagrin of the champagne people in France. But you know, the Corbeil's been kind of doing it for longer, some of the champagne houses, so you can't really complain too much. I've been going to a seasonal in November. There's a big champagne thing going on in one of the local fashion warehouse places and there's a. Every room's got a different bubbly and Corbel's been there and they've been. Their wines have been bringing it for some time. They're really good and they're affordable.
Speaker 1:
1:43
I paid $11.99 for this and this is a Methan Shampoing, methan Wash, shampanoag, that kind of thing. And it's Pinot Noir, sangiovese, gamay and what else is there? Gamay and I think, chenin Blanc and maybe a little Merlot no, I think that's it. And Gamay is the grape from Beaujolais. It always reminds me of Pinot Noir, sangiovese is the weird one, but it does just fine. And Chardonnay makes good sparkling wine on its own. It's a wine that's kind of similar to Chardonnay, so much so you kind of forget about it because it does what Chardonnay does and Chardonnay is everywhere.
Speaker 1:
2:28
Let me take a sip. This is good. It's balanced. It's 12% alcohol. This wine got number 90 in wine enthusiasts top 100 wines under $20. And they're not kidding. This is a good wine. It's well-made, you know.
Speaker 1:
2:56
It's one of those things that you don't have to pay a fortune to get a decent bubbly, which is something I've known for a long, long time. And actually, when you talk about champagne the entry level, which is like thirty to forty dollars, for the most part they're fine, but they're not that much better than inexpensive bubbly's everywhere else. It's not. Champagne doesn't get really really crazy good until you start getting up with the extended triages in the more individual wines. Not that the entry level are bad by any means. Just the other bubblies are really good and this Corbel gets 90 points in a couple of wine magazines.
Speaker 1:
3:40
You know this is. You know, for a long time Corbel was kind of in my mind. Anyway, I didn't think about it. When I was going to drink a sparkling wine. I didn't think of Corbel. I've known since tasting it for a while that it's good, but I forgot that they can make really good wine and this is a really tasty, crowd-pleasing sparkling wine.
Speaker 1:
4:01
Yeah, champagne, it's their right to call it champagne. I'll call it champagne. Got enough acidity just to make it give it a little bit of zestiness. Really good flavors. It gives you a little bit of that lip-smacking thing that makes you want to take the next sip. And $12 for a really nice Brut Rosé. Yeah, really nice Brut Rosé.
Speaker 1:
4:35
This is a really good wine. I mean it's from California. I think they've been in business for 140 years. I think the Corbel people are still. I think they're owned by somebody else, but I think the Corbel family is still making the wine. What's there not to like? I don't know.
Speaker 1:
4:56
This is a tasty bubbly. It's crowd-pleasing. You don't have to be a connoisseur to understand the flavors and enjoy the tastes and you can buy three bottles for the price of entry-level champagne. And this is a value price champagne because they got grandfathered in. So that's just for me, domain dave, this is just a good.
Speaker 1:
5:19
If you're looking for a value bubbly and you just want a good bubbly and you don't really, you know you're not trying to impress anybody, but you might impress them with the taste. But if you just want a good bubbly and you know it doesn't have to be Dom or Chandon or Krug, it doesn't have to be that, you just want to drink it and like it. It's the Corbel California Brut Rose Champagne. It's a non-vintage wine, like most bubblies are, and I found it for $12. You should be able to find it fairly cheap out there too in December of 2024. So, adios, keep it cheap. I've got a Snoop Dogg 19 Crimes wine coming up. We'll be talking about that in a couple of days. So, adios, keep it cheap and I'll be talking to everybody. Stay warm.
