Im going to step onto a familiar soapbox of mine, and a rather well-worn one at that. Ill start out by sharing that Ive long been a proponent of drinking pink (or Rosé) wines the whole year through, whether theyre from France, Spain, Italy, BC or anywhere else.
My constant beef is with those who deny themselves the joy of a good, dry rosé for the majority of the year, instead relegating them to our too-few hot and sunny months here in British Columbia. You see, Ive just never bought into the quite common perception that theyre strictly summer wines. We drink white wines during the winter after all, so the fact that its served chilled doesnt rationalize the seasonality argument for me.
The aspect of drinking pink wines that bolsters my argument most is that they make such good food-pairing wines. From steak to seafood and an abundance of vegetables, almost everything is fair game. Winter highlights in particular include the perfect pairing for Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey, your Easter ham and more.
Alas, its such an easier sell in the summer, and why wouldnt it be? A cheery wine style thats bright and thirst-quenching, not to mention perfect for your barbecue, can only add light to our sunny days. So Im going to share these great new discoveries that are fresh from Provence, the French home to killer rosé for the last, oh, 2,600 years or so. The only thing I ask is that you drink em all year long.
A fairly classic Provençal blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon surges the palate with Mandarin orange and rhubarb, settling into a nice, long finish of pink grapefruit and a crack of peppercorn for a little kick! Itll stand up to big, colourful flavours, so think bouillabaisse, ratatouille, and other regional staples.
Predominantly Cinsault and Syrah, this one offers the most aromatic, sweet flavours of this weeks quartet, but still finishes quite dry. Violets on the nose, pretty indicative of Provence, give way to watermelon, cotton candy and Pink Lady apples. A good balance for the sweet and salty dynamic of pissaladière; the classic onion tart from around these parts.
A good dose of complexity here, again with violet or lavender on the nose, but the palate sings with a whole heap of fruit. Lemon! Gooseberry! Currant! Strawberry! With each sip, youll find a little something extra. Food-wise, if it swims it should pair up perfectly.
Some fantastic citrus intensity here. Kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass and Meyer lemon all mingle quite well with a handful of huckleberries. Grill up some salt-crusted steaks and pour liberally!
For optimal summer fun, I recommend you try a couple of these side-by-side to compare and contrast their styles.
As always, if youre having trouble tracking something down, find me via KurtisKolt.com or tweet me @KurtisKolt.
