An old dog may just be able to learn some new tricks.

It's been quite a journey doing wine reviews for our Valentine's Day features. The experience has really made me move out of my comfort zone and old habits of buying the same dozen or so wines from the same three or four regions over and over again. I'm usually a red girl and depending on my mood a Merlot (as its usually cheap and good), usually wines from the Bordeaux area of France, and sometimes I venture out of my red zone and just pick something up randomly and see how it goes. Up till now whites and rose wines were never even on the radar here.

So enter the beautiful pinkish colored wine Domaine Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour Brut Rosé stage left. I have to admit I've always been a bit intrigued by rose wines the color is very appealing and there is something romantic about a rose wine. The Domaine Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour Brut Rosé is no ordinary rose wine this wine this wine will appeal to the experienced wine drinkers as well as the casual crowd who may just be looking for something for a special night or dinner. This particular Brut is not only beautiful to look at but its a sure winner with the girls in your life as this Brut has a smooth flavor with just a hint of strawberry. It's got enough of a fruit flavor to make the ladies happy but its smooth enough that its a great choice for a formal occasion. Kind of like a really nice sterling silver band bracelet that looks as good with jeans as it does with a black dress. heh.

Priced at about $36 a bottle I would consider it in the mid range of wines. Usually If I'm buying a wine for a small dinner party I usually spend around $30-35 a bottle though I realize many wines can cost upwards of $100 a bottle I would consider those wines for very very special occasions and I'm a firm believer that you do not have to spend an outrageous amount of money to get something really great. So my personal rule of thumb on buying a wine is I compare it to dinner costs at a restaurant. If you were going out to a fancy dinner at a formal restaurant you'd expect to pay $20-35 a plate so the same could be said for your wine.

You can learn more about Domaine Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour Brut Rosé on the Domaine Carneros website.