Light & Fruity Levels in Sparkling Wines

Who doesn’t like a fruity wine and especially those that involve bubbles. Many different styles of wines from different countries from varied grapes will show a fresh and fruity character. The spectrum of fruit flavour descriptions for both aromas and flavours in wines is vast with the likes of apples and pears to strawberries and melon along with citrus, tropical and exotic and not forgetting those which are dried. Grape growers and wine producers can be very clever in the way they capture plentiful fresh fruit bowl expressions for us to enjoy once we have popped the cork (or unscrewed) of the bottle.

Champagne and sparkling wines are mostly oozing with those wonderful fruit flavours that can be freshly picked and ripe in style or deeper expressions and more concentrated such as from those which are dried.

 

“Any fruit flavour can be modified with words like “dried,” “fresh,” “crushed,” “under-ripe,” “ripe,” “stewed,” or “candied” providing additional meaning to each of the descriptions that you might choose to use.” source wtso.com

Certain sparkling wine styles can be more or less guaranteed to deliver us fruity flavours such as Prosecco where the grape used, Glera, gives us an aromatic character along with a fruity expression. Not only grapes and regions, but the degree of sweetness the wines holds can also change the aromas and flavours where less sugar (brut down to brut zero) can soften the sweet fruit expression. Though a wine might be highly acidic and zesty, this is still a popular style of wine where many look for that citrus burst.

Let’s take a look at the Gold Medal Winners of Light & Fruity category in 2020 with the overall Trophy Winner too:

Trophy Winner – Light & Fruity:

Badagoni – Brut “Trophy winner in the category of ‘Light and Fruity’ at the 2020 Glass of Bubbly Awards. Creamy orchard fruits, sweet spices in aromas. Flavours are similar to aromas. Soft, sweet spices, orchard fruits, sweet citrus, white floral.”

Gold Medal Winners – Light & Fruity:

Montelvini – Serenitatis Asolo Prosecco Superiore Brut “Creamy citrus, pear, honeysuckle on the nose. Fresh fruits, medium acidity, chalky. Apples, touch of lime zest, white floral in flavours.”

Champagne Robert Allait – Cuvée Stéphane “Lightly toasted bread, yellow blossom, yellow fruit aromas. Dry nutty and yellow fruits. Mouthwatering and fresh / clean. High acidity.”

Sektkellerei Szigeti – Pinot Noir Rose “Wonderful freshly picked red berry fruit aromas. Ever so clean and pure in expression. Freshly picked and ripe red berries crushed, watermelon and more. Fresh and melon.”

Villa Sandi – Cartizze DOCG Brut La Rivetta 2019 “Always a reliable Cartizze. Smooth cream citrus, apricot, yellow pear, yellow floral on the nose. Fresh fruits on flavours. Soft citrus, honeysuckle, white blossom peach, yellow apple, green pears. Soft and elegant.”

Villa Sandi – Opere Serenissima DOC Brut “Gold Medal winner at the 2020 Glass of Bubbly Awards in the category of ‘Light and Fruity’. (2018 World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly winner). Soft citrus, sweet ripe and creamy peach, yellow floral on the nose. Soft, elegant fruity sparkling wine. Lemon pastry, apricot, yellow floral, hints of yeasty flaky pastry, honeysuckle. Fine and delicious, fresh and youthful.“