What Makes a Great Bubbly for the Poolside?
We’ve made no secret of the fact that Aphrodise is best enjoyed in the sunshine;
the cold, crisp summer flavors lend themselves perfectly to being enjoyed at leisure on a bright, warm day. If weather like this makes you head for the pool, we suggest rose bubbly as the ideal accompaniment, but what makes it such an excellent sparkling wine for around the pool?
In this article, we’ll be exploring what makes a bubbly perfect for the poolside…
What makes a great bubbly for the poolside?
The flavors
During the summer months, we seek fresh, fruity flavors, such as strawberry, citrus, mango, coconut and watermelon. Any sparkling wine that infuses sweet or sharp flavors is one that’s likely to taste incredible at the poolside, satiating that craving for mouthwatering summer food.
The temperature
Finding refreshment in a cold drink is a non-negotiable when the sun is warm, so a sparkling wine that is delicious when served ice cold feels like a luxury with every sip. To keep bubbly crisp and cold on a hot day at the pool, it’s best to leave it in any area of shade that you can find, in a generously topped-up ice bucket to ensure it’s at optimal drinking temperature at all times.
The way it's served
Nothing spoils the bubbly-drinking experience like an inappropriate glass; even the most exquisite poolside bubbly will lose something of its magic when it isn’t presented as it should be. Whilst you can serve sparkling wine in a traditional, slender flute, it also looks and tastes beautiful when it’s presented in a tall, thin wine glass, kept clean and cool to the touch, and filled around halfway.
As you should do with any cold wine, hold it from the stem of the glass to avoid warming it with your hand.
A fresher feeling
Often, a day at the pool means you’ve got the energy to thoroughly enjoy the evening; but you don’t want the bubbly you’ve indulged in during the day to hamper the night’s activities. The ideal poolside bubbly will allow you to enjoy the best of both worlds; glasses of cool, crisp sparkling wine in the afternoon sun that don’t leave you feeling sore-headed when it comes to the evening, let alone the morning after.
How to elevate your poolside bubbly
Often, a cold glass of sparkling wine is all you need to complete your time at the pool, but in case you needed something a little extra, here are our suggestions for elevating your poolside bubbly:
Try something different
You may not immediately associate sparkling wine with rosé, but that will all change once you try a sparkling variety of this light, fruity wine. By taking a rosé based wine and adding a second fermentation to the production process, a truly delicious drink is produced, lending itself to long, languid days around the pool.
Serve with food
Sparkling wine can pair perfectly with many different foods, from canapés and sushi to seafood, salad and even desserts. If your day at the pool turns to lunch and eventually dinner, bubbly can continue to be an excellent accompaniment throughout, bringing out flavors in it that are guaranteed to both surprise and delight you.
Make cocktails
Sparkling wine can bring zing to the cocktail you’ve been craving as you luxuriate by water; it can add a twist to your margarita, French 75, or whiskey sour, or you can choose to enjoy some original cocktails created to complement the flavors in the bubbly of your choice.
If you’re making poolside cocktails using our delicious Greek sparkling rosé, Aphrodise, we’ve put together some cocktail recipes that could just become your summertime stapes.
Why choose Aphrodise as your poolside bubbly?
When we created Aphrodise, we did so fuelled by the dream of long hot summer days by the pool, with nowhere to be and all day to get there. We also created it because we wanted something truly amazing to drink without the unpleasant feeling that you can get the next day with some sparkling wines; when you’re enjoying afternoons in the sun, you want to feel fresh enough the next day to do it all again.