NV Juve & Camps Brut Rose Pinot Noir

Barcelona, Spain, is filled with xampanyerias (Champagne bars) where you can drink bubbly by the glass or the bottle. They usually have some French Champagne, but their real function is to showcase cava, the local sparkling wine made in the Penedes region an hour south of Barcelona.

Juve & Camps is one of the better producers and its Pinot Noir-based brut rose boasts a terrific price-to-quality ratio. Made from free-run juice, the sparkler is a lovely deep pink with a scent of raspberries, an earthy, minerally taste and masses of tiny bubbles. Bring on the flutes!

Sip it as an aperitif or serve it with peel ‘n’ eat shrimp, sauteed calamari, seafood pasta or paella. Santa Barbara spot prawns would be a good match too. Or strawberry shortcake.

Quick swirl

Region: Penedes

Price: About $17

Style: Crisp and dry

Food it goes with: Shrimp, calamari, seafood pasta or rice dishes, spot prawns.

Where you find it: Mel & Rose Wine & Spirits in West Hollywood, (323) 655-5557, www.melandrose.com; Manhattan Fine Wines in Manhattan Beach, (310) 374-3454, www.manhattanfinewines.com; Mission Wines in South Pasadena, (626) 403-9463, www.missionwines.com; and WineStyles in Pacific Palisades, (310) 454-6860, www.winestyles.net/pacificpalisades.

-- S. Irene Virbila