60% Baga, 40% Touriga Naçional

Albano, José, and Manuel Costa founded their winery in 1920, naming it after São João, the patron saint of the region of Bairrada. Initially, they set out to make Port wines, then in 1930 a new ruling prohibited the bottling of Port wines outside of the Vila Nova de Gaia area, so Caves São João switched focus realizing Bairrada’s potential for producing world-class white and sparkling wines. They hired the French winemaker Gaston Mainousson to spearhead Bairrada’s establishment as the preeminent region for sparkling wines in Portugal.

Bright strawberry and red raspberry on the mid palate, mineral driven white pepper and floral tones. Racy acidity cuts a beam through the middle, making for a food-friendly sparkler. This is a terrific aperitif-style Rosé.