As the Holidays are fast approaching it’s time to start stocking up on wine and more specifically, sparkling wines (Champagne). Becky is quite fond of sparkling wines and loves a couple of the Prosecco Just recently introduced to Trader Joe’s this year is something I have not seen before. Two French Sparkling wines (Methode Traditionnelle, we’ll get to that later) called Vickery Park Chardonnay Bruit and Vickery Park Pinot Noir Brut Rose. Both were priced about here in Washington state (your price might vary depending on state). I found both of them quite enjoyable and worth the I spent on them!
Vickery Park doesn’t sound very French and that’s for a good reason, it’s a British based company making wines and selling them to Trader Joe’s. You can read more about their wines at their website: http://www.vickerywines.co.uk/
I’ll go through what the words on the label mean and then describe the wines. Chardonnay Brut just means that it’s a more dry version of sparkling wine, which I enjoy more. I don’t like sweet sparkling wines at all. Both of these are sufficiently dry for me. The other thing on the label that might have scratching your head is the words “Methode Traditionnelle” on the label and wondering what that might mean. Here is where things get a little wine geeky, but basically it means that these wines are made in the traditional methods used in Champagne. All that means is that you get a higher quality product usually.
The label states these wines come from France but any specific region, so my guess is that they are blending grapes from a variety of location in France. At this price point, you are not going to get a wine from a specific region, they start to become too expensive then. But that doesn’t mean that these aren’t bad wines. I was actually impressed with the high quality of the wines at the price point that Trader Joe’s is selling them at!
First the Chardonnay Brut. I thought it was light, crisp and refreshing with some floral notes and some lemony citrusy flavors. Not a whole lot of complexity but nothing that stands out that is wrong with it either. Well made wine and if you need to please a crowd this Vickery Park Chardonnay Brut is a great value! I would buy it again if we were having to serve a bunch of people.
Second, the Pinot Noir Brut Rose. I really like this one too. Made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes “from selected vineyards across France”. Again no local flavors, but also again this is a well made wine. Carbonation levels were good and I got some nice light red fruit flavors like cherries, pomegranate and strawberries. It’s also dry without any sweetness, which I like again. Make sure you chill this wines really good before serving.
I liked both wines enough. Not a lot of depth and complexity to them but good as something you might serve at a party or as a Tuesday night sparkling wine as Becky might say! I’ll give both of the 7 Bells, but that doesn’t take into account the great QPR (Quality Price Ratio) at $8 a bottle.
[…] I was fancy, I opened this bottle of Trader Joe’s Vickery Park sparkling wine. I can’t even remember where it came from, I think my […]
I just sampled a glass of this wine. I was very disappointed. I noticed a hint of something very off tasting. The only comparison that came to mind was a hint of dead mouse. My wife also could not drink it. I seemed like a competent wine otherwise but I have no doubt something bad got in the blend I drank.
You my friend had a classic case of “corked” wine! You had a bad cork and when it came in contact with the wine it spoiled it. It happens from time to time. Bring the bottle back to Trader Joe’s and get a new bottle.
Unfortunately, our Trader Joes, Naples, Florida has discontinued this wine. It is our favorite. How do we get it back?
Typical of Trader Joe’s. Discontinue a perfectly viable product for no reason. You might be able to find the wine at another store. I once emailed the owners of the winery and they got right back to me. They might know who is selling it in the USA.