For the Amista Fan Favorite Sparkling Syrah…
…will it be color or flavor?
Does color matter in sparkling wine? That was the question we asked ourselves during a recent dosage trial of our fan favorite Sparkling Syrah, will it be color or flavor that wins the day?
A Sparkling Syrah That Looked Different
This vintage was lighter in color than usual. It was beautiful in the glass and tasted delightful—just not what we or our members were used to seeing. It reminded us how much color can vary in sparkling wine, even within the same variety, especially in rosés.
After our first trial, winemaker Ashley decided to add a small amount of still Syrah to the dosage to deepen the color. She brought two options: a 1% and a 2% addition. We liked the look of the 2%, which gave the wine a lovely coral hue—still lighter than our typical cranberry color but closer to what everyone expects from our Sparkling Syrah.
Always Cranberry—Except for the “Dark Year”
That was the 2010 vintage, before the rest of our current team joined. Ashley, Mike, and I remembered it well. The “dark year” was stunning in the bottle, but the flavor leaned too earthy, too much like our red Syrah. We love those notes in the red, but for our sparkling rosé we aim for bright, fruit-forward flavors.
But How Does It Taste?
Once we had our color comparisons, it was time to taste. In the glass, the color difference between the 1% and 2% samples was subtle, though we all still preferred the 2%. But when we tasted, I immediately noticed a hint of earthy Syrah. I didn’t say anything at first—but then Ashley mentioned it too. So we went back to the original, without any added Syrah.
We were blown away by how much fresher and fruitier it tasted, with bright bubbles dancing on the tongue. The Syrah additions had weighed the wine down just a bit. As much as we loved the color of the 2%, the taste of the original stole our hearts.
The Pink Wine Misconception
That conversation about color reminded me of something that happened years ago, before Ashley ever made her first bubbles with us. Our Sparkling Syrah is a rosé, with its cranberry in color. I call it “joy in a bottle.” It’s festive! It shimmers! It’s delicious! And it’s dry.
But Ashley wasn’t so sure. When she became our winemaker, my husband Mike gave her two bottles as a welcome gift. She tucked them away in a closet, assuming they’d be “icky and sweet.” One night she decided to open a bottle to share with her girlfriends—a good way to get rid of it, she thought. But as soon as they started raving about how delicious it was, she took a sip herself. The rest is history. She’s been a convert—and a devoted maker and sipper of “joy in a bottle”—ever since.
The story always makes me smile, and it’s such a good reminder of how color shapes our expectations. People see pink and think sweet, but our Sparkling Syrah is bone dry, with bright berry flavors and lively acidity that make it perfect for food or celebration.
What Do Our Customers Expect?
That story got us thinking again about color—how it sets expectations long before the first sip. The way a sparkling wine looks in the glass prepares you for what you think you’ll taste, which makes it even more fun to surprise people with something unexpected.
That led to another lively discussion. When we host tastings, we love to start with our Blanc de Blanc, then move to one of our lighter sparkling rosés, and finally unveil our cranberry-colored Sparkling Syrah. It’s the moment we call “joy in a bottle”—a wine that adds a festive note to any tasting or occasion.
Many of our club members have been with us for years and remember the distinct colors of our sparkling rosés. Because we bottle all our sparkling wines in flint (clear) glass, the color is part of their identity. Over time, we’ve intentionally crafted each rosé to have a slightly different hue—something our members now look forward to. Maybe our attention to color came back to challenge us this time!
Why Is It So Hard to Get a Specific Color?
From a winemaker’s perspective, achieving just the right color isn’t easy. The hue depends on how long the grapes stay on their skins, and that’s not always entirely under your control. Sometimes the color you love in the pressed juice changes during disgorgement. You can adjust by adding a touch of still red wine to the dosage—but that can also alter the flavor.
What Did We Decide—Color or Flavor?
It was unanimous: flavor wins over color. As much as we wanted that familiar cranberry hue, we couldn’t sacrifice taste. Maybe it’s not the color that makes our Sparkling Syrah “joy in a bottle.” I’m convinced that even in a blind tasting, the joy would come from its bright, fresh-picked strawberry flavors and the lively bubbles that burst on the tongue.
Treat yourself to a little “joy in a bottle”. Explore our sparkling wines and Rhône varieties. Come Taste With Us at Amista Vineyards in Healdsburg!
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