The last time I bought sparkling grape juice was in the 1980s, and I can’t quite remember what it tasted like.  I tend to buy, taste and describe wine and so grape juice is something I might think of as not being quite wine, and so lacking. However,  I’m trying to reduce the amount I drink, and the number of evenings I drink and my plan is to have interesting non-wine drinks available so that when the clock reaches 6pm I can have something lovely.  Went to stay with a friend in Cornwall at the weekend, and she has grape juice in a wine glass at six, so I’ve started a little early and in a tumbler.

The smell is great.  Very grapey, and definitely leads you to expect a sweet and fruity grape juice.  The taste is clean and grapey but, as a wine drinker, I’d like more acidity.  I suppose the BG people are also expecting children to drink these and so the sugar needs to be relatively high, and grapes are sweet, but I’d love to be on the tasting panel and try different sugar levels.  The finish is nice and clean, which I like.  Another benefit, if you’re a designated driver, is that it looks like wine, so you can happily not drink while all your friends do, without looking different. 

I like this.  I think I’ll get a bottle or two in next time I have people for dinner.  I generally get a couple of litres of sparking water and an elderflower cordial, which people seem to like, but this is good.  I’ve got a bottle of the red grape sparkler as well, so will post again once I’ve had a chance to taste that.  Would be interested to hear other opinions.    

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