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Party Punch Recipe: Sparkling Rosé

Susannah Chen — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:21:49 PST

If you need a quick serving idea for your next holiday party, here’s a delicious drink that is good for large groups: sparkling rosé punch! Besides a your favorite bubbly, you’ll need elderflower liqueur, club soda, lemon juice, sugar, and egg whites. Watch our video to learn how to make this total crowd-pleaser - plus, find out the secret ingredient we like to add as a garnish to this party drink recipe.

Happy Hour: Fizzy Berry Sangria

Katie Sweeney — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:46:51 PDT

When it comes to Summer entertaining, my go to beverage is sangria. It's easy to make a large batch and must be put together in advance. It's a wine-based punch, making it lower in alcohol than its spirit counterparts and it has a fruity profile, meaning that most people will enjoy a glass or two.

I believe a hostess can never have too many sangria recipes and this is my current fav. It's a mixture of berries, Rosé, and black currant liqueur. The recipe, which comes from Mariena Mercer of The Cosmopolitan in Vegas, calls for soda water to add effervescence. However, I used sparkling Rosé instead. This sangria is better the longer it steeps, so get started now!

A Dozen Roses For a Modern Gal

Julia Walsh — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 04:00:24 PST

As I've mentioned, every year as Valentine's Day approaches, I become weary of the dozen red roses cliché. A lovely alternative to the ubiquitous bouquet is a rose motif decor gift, but I'm not a fan of shabby chic English rose patterns. I prefer something a little more modern. Since I wouldn't trust a man to think of such a clever, alternative gift for V-Day, today I'm taking the matter into my own hands. From petal-perfect colanders ($8) to shiny rose bowls ($130) to graphic, blooming rugs ($230 and up), I have my eye on a few rivetingly rosy items. One of my favorites is the Graham and Brown Rosa Wallpaper ($60), which challenges the traditional red palette with delicious apple green flowers. Click the product images to shop the rest of this look!

Happy Hour: Mumm Napa Brut Rosé

Katie Sweeney — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:43:50 PST

Since guzzling a couple of glasses of pink champagne is my single girl's cure to getting through Valentine's Day, I've been on the lookout for a great sparkling Rosé. While I'd love to try one of the nine bottles recommended by the San Francisco Chronicle, there's no super affordable option on the list.

However, I was recently sent a bottle of Mumm Napa's Brut Rosé, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. At $22, it's more than I spend on an everyday sparkling, but it's for a holiday, so it's worth the splurge!

This Brut Rosé has a dark blushing color, delicate bubbles, and a super fruity nose. It's 85 percent Pinot Noir and 15 percent Chardonnay and a wonderfully drinkable wine. It has a fresh, clean taste and light body. If you're in need of a good pink bubbly, I highly recommend the Mumm Napa Brut Rosé.

What's your favorite sparkling Rosé?

Happy Hour: 2006 Schramsberg Brut Rosé

Susannah Chen — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:15:49 PST

Sparkling wine's rarely inappropriate for an occasion, but there's also hardly a time more fitting to drink it than during the holidays. For a particularly memorable gift, I'll occasionally indulge friends in an over-the-top bottle of bubbly, but with all the festivities that go down between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I typically turn to wines with value.

Overall, American bubbly offers more bank for your buck than French champagnes, and among West Coast sparkling wines, one can hardly get a better value than with Schramsberg. Vintage bubbly is less common and more expensive, but this wine house offers a reasonably-priced selection. Sommelier Eugenio Jardim recently turned me on to the 2006 Rosé ($30).

The blush-tinted bubbly is one of the few left to be hand-riddled in production, and it has a bright, yeasty nose that conjures images of the season's best harvest - apples, pears, cranberries. Like Jardim said, it'd be ideal with Winter squash soup - but it's great alone, too. What are your picks for sparkling wines with value?

Sparkling Rosé Punch Is the Perfect Party Drink

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:15:49 PST

If you need a cocktail idea for a holiday party, birthday celebration, or other fun gathering, here's a delicious drink that is great for large groups: sparkling Rosé punch! Besides a sparkling Rosé, you'll need St. Germain elderflower liqueur, club soda, lemon juice, and sugar. Watch our video that we shot at Hip Cooks to learn how to make this crowd-pleasing punch!

Happy Hour: Martini & Rossi Sparkling Rosé

Susannah Chen — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:00:51 PDT

According to Nielsen, the volume of sparkling rosé produced has grown by nearly 22 percent in the last year - if you're looking for a solid jumping-off point for pink sparklers, a good place to start is Martini & Rossi. The Italian house is known for its Prosecco, Asti, and Vermouth, but this year also launched a reasonably priced Sparkling Rosé ($14).

The bottle's deep coral color is inviting, but it's the flirtatious blend of Malvasia, Brachetto, and Moscato Bianco that's unique. The Malvasia lent a hint of apricot, the Moscato Bianco: lingering sweetness, and red Brachetto: a bright salmon color. The end result was a bouquet of pomaceous fruit that ended with a very off-dry finish.

Martini Sparkling Rosé is also raising attention to breast cancer this month: Make a donation online to The Pink Agenda through the rest of October, and the wine house will match it. What's your favorite blush bubbly?

Berry Tempting: Raspberry-Lime Rose Syrup

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:00:44 PDT

I'm a big fan of raspberry cocktails, so I knew the minute I came across a raspberry rose syrup that it'd be a must try. The recipe called for rose petals, but I substituted rose water, which I already had on hand (it can be found at Middle Eastern grocers or online at Amazon).

The cooking process is basic: Dissolve sugar in a wine-and-water mixture, cooking raspberries down until a gooey syrup forms. The finished product is not only sweet and tart, but also has a lingering floral flavor from the rose water. See the easy recipe - and the different ways I made use of the syrup! - when you read more.

Berry Tempting: Berry Sangria

partysugar — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:00:48 PDT

I've never met a sangria I didn't like, and this blushing variation with Rosé and raspberries is absolutely delightful. It's the ideal sort of drink to enjoy with salty nibbles while watching a late Summer sunset. Some tips: Be sure to make in advance, as this will give the ingredients time to meld. Don't skip the creme de cassis; it really develops the flavor of the berries and Rosé. Ask your local wine shop owner for the driest Rosé, otherwise the sangria will end up too sweet. You'll love sipping this pretty pink concoction, so get the recipe after the jump.

Red and White Blends: Love Them or Hate Them?

YumSugar — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 07:00:29 PDT

I did a wine tasting at Peju Winery a while back and was pleasantly surprised with the winery's Provence bottling - a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel with Chardonnay and French Colombard. While purists may scoff at a red and white blend compared to a traditional Rosé, this is a tasty, goes-with-everything wine that I have on hand for Saturday park soirees and Summer barbecues. Have you tried a red and white blend? What did you think?