Cupcake Lighthearted Rose
Cupcake Lighthearted Rose
Rose / Cupcake Low / 8%
Bursting with bright notes of fresh grapefruit and lemon zest. Subtle hints of peach and honeysuckle give way to a long finish. Made with only 80 calories and <1g of natural sugar per 5oz glass. At only 8% ABV, Cupcake LightHearted brings full flavor to life’s lighter moments.
As more and more companies in all kinds of industries move toward developing healthier options that stand up to their traditional offerings, adult beverage makers are not to be left out. Tons of non-alcoholic options now exist in the realms of both wine and beer, but what about those people who want to reduce their calorie intake without completely giving up the boozy aspects? The happy medium would appear to be low-abv products such as Cupcake Lighthearted Rose.
The average alcohol content of most traditional wine, including Rose, is around 12 percent. Cupcake Lighthearted, on the other hand, comes in at just eight percent alcohol by volume and tallies only 80 calories per five-ounce serving. But these are not the only health benefits that this Rose has. It also contains less than four grams of carbs per serving and less than one gram of sugar, which is present in only natural forms. In addition, their website tells me that it is both vegan and gluten-free. Nevermind that nearly all wines are vegan and gluten-free. The messaging is clear. Cupcake Lighthearted Rose is for the health-conscious drinker.
While Rose isn’t at the top of the list of my favorite varietals, it absolutely has its place, usually in a day-drinking capacity. That makes it a perfect candidate for some lessening of alcohol and calories, because who wants to be weighing themselves down with heavy sugar over the course of a warm day? So I’m looking forward to sampling this wine and hopefully finding something I can enjoy at the next cookout with a little less guilt. Keep reading this Cupcake Lighthearted Rose review to see if this wine does the trick.
Is Cupcake Lighthearted Rose Good?
First off, I am not a huge fan of the presentation of this wine. Light gray labels on the bottle clash with the bright pink liquid contained within. The design and font evokes thoughts of a bachelorette party, which I believe is a reputation Rose-makers should be trying to move away from as they seek out a broader customer base.
The liquid itself poured into a wine glass is a typical bright, crisp pink, a beautiful sight on a hot summer day while sitting on a vineyard patio. In the right light, there is actually a faint orange tint to it. There are a fair amount of bubbles on the pour that hang around the edges of the glass for a bit.
The nose has some mixed berry aromas intermingling with each other, the strongest of which strikes me as raspberry. There is a surprising amount of sweetness in the aroma despite the low sugar content. It comes across as agave nectar. Nothing in particular jumps to the forefront, which makes me hopeful for a nice blend of flavors.
This wine absolutely looks the part of a quality Rose, and the aromas that come through are interesting enough to give me some optimism moving into the actual tasting. But the only way to answer the question, “Is Cupcake Lighthearted Rose good?” is by tipping the glass back and seeing what we have.
Cupcake Lighthearted Rose Review
On the tongue, I initially found that surprising sweetness that was present in the aroma, but as I sat with it longer, I realized it was more of a sharp tang, and the body of the wine is actually not all that sweet. Calling it dry would perhaps be an overstatement, but it falls somewhere in the middle, tilting toward the drier side.
A lot of the scents from the nose follow pretty uniformly upon tasting, including the mixed berries and the nectar, but there are some new elements present as well. The dominant among this is ripe watermelon.
The flavor profile as a whole is not overly complex, but it is quite lively in the mouth, making the tasting a refreshing experience. The different flavor elements aren’t perfectly matched with each other but are each pleasant enough in their own right.
The body itself is on the lighter side of medium, while the finish drags on a bit longer than I personally enjoy. It is through this finish that the dryness begins to come through more so than it did originally. That I don’t mind, and all-in-all the finish is not an unpleasant one, with a nice burst of acidity to round it out. I simply prefer a more crisp cleansing of the palette in preparation for the next sip. The mouthfeel is rather silky and maybe one of my favorite characteristics of this wine.
Overall, the tasting was a bit of a mixed bag. There are some things in there to really like, but I’m not sure it all comes together to make the whole better than the sum of the pieces. We’ll see what that adds up to in my final Cupcake Lighthearted Rose rating.
Cupcake Lighthearted Rose Rating
When it comes to low-abv beer or wine, I end up grading on much less of a curve than I do with fully dealcoholized versions. Because these products never have to go through the alcohol removal process, they, in theory, shouldn’t lose as many of the characteristics that make them what they are. I appreciate the fact that making a healthier variety of a popular wine style is no easy task or else everyone would do it. But at least they have most of the ingredients to work with.
In some ways, this Rose stands up perfectly well to a traditional version, but there are other ways that it comes up a bit short. I was pleased to find that the sweetness didn’t come through in an overpowering fashion like I thought it might at times. The flavor profile seems to be a little confused with itself, which makes for a lively experience in the mouth but not necessarily the best blending of elements into a whole. The texture and mouthfeel is quality if not perfectly suited to my personal preferences. I’m a bit torn on my final rating, but I think I will wrap up this Cupcake Lighthearted Rose review by awarding it 3 out of 5 stars, just shy of a fourth. If you’re looking for something a bit healthier without ditching alcohol altogether, it’s a fine choice but won’t knock your socks off.
Photos credit: https://www.cupcakelighthearted.com/
