Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Does The World Need A Sparkling Vodka-Wine? Introducing Absolut Tune
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 11, 2012
Modified Oct 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 11, 2012
Modified Oct 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
With the exception of sugary, lime-infused malt beverages, we do not discriminate against what we imbibe. From the lowliest can of Schlitz to the loftiest can of Coors, we rarely worry about pairing the right drink with the amount of cash we can siphon out of the couch the right mood. Yet we weren't sure of what to make of Absolut Tune, a new combination of sparking white wine and vodka. Does the world really need bubbly liquor? It does. Now, more than ever.
Perhaps it was the manner in which we swilled Tune (atop The Standard, listening to a man with a messenger bag scream at his lover through his cell phone) but it was thoroughly refreshing. Tune tastes like your standard, clean-cut sparkling wine (it's actually a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc) but with a pleasant heat on the back end (14% ABV) that suggests you probably won't be waking up at 9 on a Saturday to do laundry, and you're OK with that. It's not sugary, but people won't have trouble gussing it up with fruit or liqueurs (Campari AKA The Astringent Assassin is not a bad idea).
At $31.99 a bottle, Tune ain't cheap—there are bigger, boxier reds or sparkling whites that offer more flavor for less money (and after all, Tune is essentially sparkling wine). But according to a plaque that we read once on a yacht off the coast of Saint-Tropez, Smoothness Matters, and if anything, Tune is smooth.
Tagged
absolut tune
booze
the standard
vodka
wine
original
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .