Barefoot Pink Moscato

By Chris and Sherry Hardie

A new year tradition for this column is to feature a bottom-shelf wine, which seems to be very appropriate this year in our post-holiday, belt-tightening, “fiscal cliff”-flirting world.

Barefoot — an E&J Gallo brand — makes very successful and quaffable bottom-shelf wines and has five versions of moscato. The wine is surging in popularity, particularly among younger wine drinkers. Nielsen Co. says more than half of moscato drinkers are younger than 45 and 30 percent are between 21 and 30.

This non-vintage pink version is blended with white grenache to achieve the rose color. It features a bouquet of flowers and typical moscato flavors of honey and orchard fruits. It would pair nicely with spicy foods.

Sherry: “Sweet and light-bodied, with flavors of delicate honey and pear.” 3 stars

Chris: “Flavors of pear, honey and peach.” 3 stars

Available locally for about $5.

Coming next week: Clos du Bois Rouge