The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Sonoma County Brut Rosé is a $12.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive, produced for them by Rack and Riddle, a huge Sparkling wine producer with several location in California.
The Story
Trader Joe’s Reserve line of Sparkling wines, have multiple veriations of Northern California Bubbly. There is Diamond Reserve, Platinum Reserve, and just regular old Reserve.
There is North Coast Bubbly, Sonoma Bubbly, Napa Bubbly, Carneros Bubbly and probably a couple I missed.
Rack and Riddle is the main Sparkling wine maker on the West Coast, there are wineries that do their own Sparkling wines in-house and Rack and Riddle gets the rest.
Champagne-style Sparkling wine was very labor intensive with a time consuming process.
Modern technology has simplified the winemaking and even French Champagne Houses use the new technology for many of their wines.
Sonoma is an excellent location to find vineyards for traditional Champagne grapes of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.
California has none of the regulations used in the actual Champagne region of France. The are highly regulated, in Sonoma the Bubbly is made the winemaker wants it.
Since this is a Rosé I assume that Pinot Noir is in the blend since the grape skin is needed for the pink color of Rosé. It is likely that this a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Trader Joe’s gives no information on the make-up of this Bubbly
Again, California has no regulations stating the Bubbly must be produced along the lines of French Champagne, but it probably follows most of the rules.
The alcohol content is 12.5% and there kooks to be a new Grand Reserve label that is very black and gold.
The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Sonoma County Brut Rosé Tasting Notes
The color is an amber gold. The nose is cherry, lemonade, spice, brioche, lemon, and lightly floral. The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Sonoma County Brut Rosé is a tasty, easy to sip Bubbly.
This Sparkling wine tastes like cherry mixed with grapefruit, a nice slap of spice, a little pear, and stone fruit, with hint of crusty bread.
The acidity is handled well and gives this Bubbly a nice bit of length.
The Summary
- The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Sonoma County Brut Rosé is a fine $12.99 Bubbly.
- Made in a more relaxed California-style than French Champagne, but casual wine drinkers may prefer this.
- Value-priced luxury!
