My in-laws came to visit recently to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday. I offered a variety of drinks that were both refreshing and complimentary to our meal of grilled pork shoulder and leg of lamb with vegetables: a Cabernet Sauvignon, chilled beer, and a crisp, cooled moscato d'asti. There was even a large pitcher of fresh lemonade with cucumber slices and crushed ice.
As I waited for a bottle to chill, I was asked if the moscato of the evening was Stella Rosa.
"Uuuhhhmmm. No," I said.
The conversation immediately took a turn in a direction in which I was labeled a cultural elitist of sorts, because of my reaction.
Stella Rosa is a line of wines from Italy that has captured the palates of many new wine drinkers who enjoy sweet, fruity wines. Renowned San Antonio Winery, in Los Angeles, promotes Stella Rosa as one of its premier wines, created in response to consumer requests for a high-quality, slightly sweet and fruity, everyday wine. To meet this growing taste preference, the Riboli Family, owners of the San Antonio Winery, traveled to Piedmont in Northern Italy.Consumers wanted a high-quality, slightly sweet and fruity, everyday wine and the Riboli family delivered with wines that are lighter than traditional table wines, with a touch of carbonation – but not so bubbly as to be uncorked only on big occasions( www.prnewswire.com, 2011).
To me, it tastes like Kool Aid with bubbles, and it feels like it's trying really hard to be wine, but it hasn't arrived yet.
The Stella Rosa trend reminds me of the Seagram's wine cooler craze of the 1980's: Everyone is having fun sipping it, with its different flavors, and if you don't like it, shame on you!
I don't like it. Shame on me for not taking a wine company that advertises its product on giant billboards alongside the 5 Freeway seriously.
Yes, I'm a wine snob. Just because everyone is drinking Kool-Aid and telling you to drink it, doesn't mean you should...bubbles or no.
I do, however, enjoy a sweet wine with dessert or fruit and cheese. Summertime seems to be best for moscato and Rieslings that taste wonderful after they've been on ice. The difference is that many of my choices are not Romper Room sweet, and elegantly seduce the palate, glorifying in the beauty of sophisticated adult tastes. With every sip of Stella Rosa, I am left wondering what it is I am tasting...what is it, exactly, and why is everyone so head-over-heels with this new experience that is not so new?
Once I asked that question, I also began to investigate who is the who that loves this sparkly wine: The market for Stella Rosa is mostly young adults, many of them who have never even tried traditional vintages. Upon further inspection, many of those consumers are female. Stella Rosa is reasonably priced, which makes it an enjoyable luxury for almost anyone. The moscato bottles are attractively designed, lending a sense of distinction that doesn't break the bank. So there you have it.
Everyone has a favorite, and what makes living in America so great is that any person can have an "Experience of Wealth", in which they feel like a million dollars because of what they eat or drink, the places they travel to or what they wear. With Stella Rosa, San Antonio Winery has made class and luxury accessible to those who desire to have a bit of rich and famous accompany their lifestyle.
Once I asked that question, I also began to investigate who is the who that loves this sparkly wine: The market for Stella Rosa is mostly young adults, many of them who have never even tried traditional vintages. Upon further inspection, many of those consumers are female. Stella Rosa is reasonably priced, which makes it an enjoyable luxury for almost anyone. The moscato bottles are attractively designed, lending a sense of distinction that doesn't break the bank. So there you have it.
Everyone has a favorite, and what makes living in America so great is that any person can have an "Experience of Wealth", in which they feel like a million dollars because of what they eat or drink, the places they travel to or what they wear. With Stella Rosa, San Antonio Winery has made class and luxury accessible to those who desire to have a bit of rich and famous accompany their lifestyle.
As for me, I still approach with caution...
