Barefoot Bubbly - Barefoot Champagne

Discount Bubbly from California and Australia, owed by Gallo

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Barefoot Wines and Barefoot Bubbly from Barefoot Cellars are some of the biggest selling budget brands of wine in the US and available most everywhere. They're probably in every supermarket within 100 mile radius of me for example, or at least they seem to be.

They were started way back in 1965 in a garage in California, are now owned by Gallo, and produce almost two dozen types of wine including red, white, rose, and sparkling wines. We'll concentrate on their sparkling wines here.

Barefoot Bubbly Brut ChampagneDespite saying Champagne on the label, they are absolutely not. They can say that legally only because they are grandfathered in. They are not from Champagne, France, and are not made by the traditional Champagne method, or méthode champenoise. Instead they are made by the cheaper Charmat method where the second fermentation, the one that adds the bubbles, is done in a big tank instead of in each individual bottle itself. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with that however.

But really what matters is "Are they any good?"

Well, as of this writing they make a Brut, Extra Brut, Pink Moscato, Pinot Grigio Bubbly, Rose, Moscato Spumante, Pink Moscato Bubbly and Red Moscato Bubbly. At about $10 a bottle, they are very popular.

If you like sweet grape juice with alcohol, for example Pink Zinfandel, you might like the Rose, Moscato Spumante, Pink Moscato Bubbly and Red Moscato Bubbly. To me they taste like grape juice mixed with soda and alcohol with a strange chemical taste. To each their own, but I think they suck and rate them "AVOID!"

The Brut and the Extra Brut, while certainly cheap wines, are OK and although at US$10 I'd rather have a Spanish Cava, they're not bad and will appeal to many.  A tasting note for the Brut follows

I'll give the Pinot Grigio Bubbly the runner up to the Brut and Extra Brut. It's very simple, has some citrus and white fruit flavors, and is easy to drink.

Tasting Note: Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvee Champagne - rated C

The nose has apple and some kind of apple seed/apple peel/apple pith aroma.

It has pleasant apple and some white pear flavors. A bit on the sweet side for a Brut.

Maybe as simple s a wine can get but it's absolutely OK.

For the unsophisticated wine drank, and no, that's not a putdown.

My 12 year old nephew and 16 year old niece would probably like it, not that they'll get to try it soon. My near teetotaler 80 year old mother would find it pleasant too. However I'll open something better for the (of legal age) babysitter.

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