Well if the title of my blog wasn’t a hint, I’ll let you know that I’m a huge rosé fan. Really, I’m a huge wine fan. But, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no expert. The intent of my blog is to share my experiences with wine and with the help of my boyfriend, who is far more of an expert than I am, help to bridge the gap between the great sommeliers of the world, and us basic bitches who like drinking wine out of cans and boxes, am I right??

At our home, we always have quite a few bottles on hand. Tre is involved in a very intense study program for the Court of Master Somms, Advanced level. He passed the Certified exam (Level 2) last May. Some of his studies actually involve tasting different types of wine, from different regions and varietals (i.e. Merlot, PInot Grigio, Sangiovese, etc…) Tough job right?? Anyway, as I was saying, we always have a few bottles on hand. I’m a big rosé fan so I like to have a few different types at home ready to be opened, especially during Spring & Summer time.

The other day, we went to our local liquor store to stock up for the week. I picked up a few bottles of La Vieille Ferme, this is normally a $10 - 15 wine and is available in bottle or box version. If you click the link in the wine title, it’s only 7.99 on wine.com (I do not receive any commission from them, I’m truly trying to get you all the best deal!) Truth be told, I actually like the box version better than the bottle. I feel like it tastes the same, if not a little better than the bottle and you get so much more bang for your buck! If you’re local to the Boulder area, Hazel’s has this in box version. This is one of my favorite cheaper rosé wines that I frequently drink.

I saw that Whispering Angel was on sale and added one bottle to the cart. It was on sale but still around $25 for the bottle…but it’s so pretty!! And it’s Whispering Angel!! Doesn’t Lisa Vanderpump drink that?? I mean, it’s so fancy!

We got home and I thought to myself, Tre is always having me pour him “blinders” (This is where I pour different types of varietals for him to taste and study without knowing what they are. He then will make his guess as to what type of wine it is, where it came from and what year it was made, plus a few other details). Why doesn’t he “blind” me on Whispering Angel and La Vieille Ferme. I wanted to see if I could tell the difference between the two, and more importantly without being judgmental of label which one I actually enjoyed more.

Keep in mind, wine is a personal experience. What I like could be very different from what you like.

I was convinced I’d be able to taste the difference between the two and Whispering Angel would be like drinking sweet rainbows compared to La Vieille Ferme which would be good, but more like grabbing some cheap boxed wine to enjoy after a long day.

The blind tasting ensued, Tre poured me two glasses, in foggy glasses, so that I couldn’t see a color difference between the two.

Wine 1:

Smooth, light, enjoyable. I really like this wine. It reminds me of drinking perfectly chilled rosé laying by a pool in the Hamptons.

Wine 2:

Slightly tart, floral, intense. It’s hard not to compare at this point in time, especially since I enjoyed wine #1. This wine was good but honestly seemed a little cheap to me in my brain. It didn’t feel as smooth as I expected rosé to.

With out a doubt I’m convinced that Whispering Angel is the far superior, enjoyable wine #1 at this point. I liked it a lot better.

The Reveal

Wouldn’t you know it, I was wrong. La Vieille Ferme was wine #1 while Whispering Angel was wine #2. I was shocked! I can’t believe I liked the cheaper option better, that NEVER happens to me in life. Let me be very clear, I’m still a huge Whispering Angel fan, but in comparison to the La Vieille Ferme, my personal palette preferred wine #1. This doesn’t necessarily mean that tastes won’t change, every wine can have its own character and differences.

This can be a really fun exercise and activity to do with your partner at home during this quarantine time. It’s also a helpful way to determine which types of wine you like better.

Need a recommendation on wine type?? Message me on Instagram or submit an email through my contact form. I know what you’re thinking, ‘Nicole, YOU are going to tell me what kind of wine to get??’ No, no. I’ll call in the big guns. Tre is incredibly knowledgable in this department, I’m always happy to pick his brain when it comes to wine selections!

Thank you for reading and hope everyone is staying safe out there!