November 1, 2014

Varietal Spotlight: Rouge

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. Have you started planning your holiday menu? Consider serving KORBEL Sonoma County Rouge alongside the turkey, stuffing and other trimmings. A true sparkling red wine, Rouge pairs beautifully with a holiday turkey dinner.

KORBEL Rouge is a medium-dry California champagne that is based on Russian River Valley Pinot Noir grapes. The grapes are crushed into stainless steel holding tanks, where they are fermented for a week or more on the skins. The juice in the tank is pumped over the skins several times a day to extract the color and flavors from the skins. After fermentation, the skins are pressed, and the new wine is aged in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. Finally, the classic méthode champenoise process is used to transform the wine into KORBEL California Champagne.

With its distinctive red color, Rouge has the aroma and flavor of intense black cherry, strawberry and plum. The rich fruit flavors blend nicely with tannins and herbal characters in the champagne.

Along with turkey, KORBEL Rouge pairs well with hearty pastas, red meats and robust seafood dishes. Its rich, spicy notes make it a good accompaniment to salami, prosciutto and cheese.