Nothing sets a celebratory mood quite like the pop of a champagne cork. But choosing a rosé sparkling wine can add an extra touch of glamour, particularly if you’re drinking with someone you love and are looking to impress.
The wine is turned pink in one of two ways. Red grapes can either remain in contact with their skins for a time to take on some of their colour, or a little red wine can be blended with white after the initial fermentation. Either way, you can expect flavours of red fruits, such as strawberries and cherry, perhaps floral or brioche notes and plenty of vibrant bubbles from your sparkling pink vino.
Especially popular on Valentine’s Day, a bottle of pink fizz can also range in colour from the palest blush to a stronger orange-hued pink. Generally soft and fruity, these sparkling wines are ideal as an aperitif drunk on their own but also can work well with food, including seafood dishes, strawberry desserts and charcuterie. The wines generally have a higher acidity too, which can cut through richer or fattier foods such as roast lamb and Asian dishes.
Don’t be put off if you’ve tasted sickly sweet pink sparkling in the past either. Look for the word brut on the label to find a fizz that will taste dry – although fruity aromas may make it seem sweeter than it really is. Avoid bubbles labelled demi-sec or doux if you want a dryer drink.
Champagne is perhaps the best-known option when it comes to something sparkling, and must be made to strict rules using a blend of pinot noir, pinot Meunier and chardonnay. However, pink bubbly doesn’t have to come from the famous French region (or have a price tag to match), with pink fizz now being made around the world. Other sparkling wines worth knowing include Spanish cava, English sparkling wine and Italian prosecco – the rosé version of which was only officially permitted by the Italian government in 2020. We’ve included a wide range in this round-up, so you can find your favourite for every occasion.
How we tested
We made sure every pink sparkling wine we tested was served chilled and at its best, then sipped and sampled every one alone and alongside food, including seafood, fruity desserts and spicy stir-fries. We looked for effervescence, enticing aromas and appealing flavours that we would be thrilled to raise a glass with at a special event or even drink year-round.
The best pink champagnes, proseccos and sparkling wines for 2023 are:
- Best overall – Simpsons wine estate canterbury rosé 2019: £35, Simpsonswine.com
- Best pink prosecco – Ca’ di Rajo rosé brut prosecco Treviso DOC millesimato 2019: £17.45, Independent.wine
- Best bottle to impress – Taittinger brut prestige rosé NV: £44, Sainsburys.co.uk
- Best pink cava – Vilarnau rosé reserve organic cava: £10, Ocado.com
- Best special occasion champagne – Piaff rosé brut champagne: £52, Champagnepiaff.com
- Best budget pink sparkling – Adnams prosecco rosé DOC: £11.99, Adnams.co.uk
- Best English sparkling wine for less than £30 – Chapel Down rosé brut: £23.99, Thebottleclub.com
- Best premier cru – Champagne Lombard premier cru rosé extra brut NV: £45, Wickhamwine.co.uk
- Best pink champagne – Champagne Guy Charlemagne brut rosé NV: £35.18, Honestgrapes.co.uk
- Best pink sparkling to drink in the summer – Astoria fashion victim rosé: £13.55, Honestgrapes.co.uk