Wines to Drink to Get Through a Pandemic - Part 6
June 17, 2020
With a hot, sunny weekend coming up, my mind is focused on rosé. It is for sure the quintessential wine for summer, but its also a go-to wine for me all year long because of the following:
1. Structure - rosé wines have great acidity making them thirst-quenching, fresh and crisp.
2. Diversity of flavours - including ripe fruit, fresh herbs, citrus, salinity and minerality.
3. Food pairing excellence - because rosé is made in many styles from feather-light to richly flavoured and tannic, it is a wine that pairs with a wide variety of foods throughout all of our seasons.
Here are three great value wines that will surely liven up your weekend plans!
$13.95 | VINTAGES#: 451385
Hailing from Portugal, this wine is a blend of indigenous grapes Touriga Nacional and Aragonez (the Portuguese name for Tempranillo) and Syrah. Very pale salmon pink in the glass. On the nose, summer strawberries, rose petal, orange zest and wet stone. Strawberry and red currant on the palate, with bright lemon and crunchy mineral notes. Simple and refreshing. This would be great with grilled shrimp or a summery salad with fresh strawberries.
Rustenberg Petit Verdot Rosé 2019
$14.95 | VINTAGES#: 451773
Petit Verdot is not a grape we often see vinified by itself - it is usually included in red Bordeaux blends, giving more tannin, acid and colour to those wines when needed. This single varietal wine from South Africa is a nice example of a weightier, more structured rosé. On the nose there is cranberry, rhubarb and savoury celery salt. The wine is juicy on the palate with strawberry, tart cranberry and bright herbaceous notes. It has great acidity and surprising amount of tannin and it finishes dry with a distinctive note of bitter orange peel. This is a perfect wine for grilled salmon but I think it could stand up to burgers (meat or veggie) or an earthy lentil salad.
Bernard-Massard Cuvée de l'Écusson Pinot Noir Brut Sparkling Rosé
$19.95 | VINTAGES#: 369074
I saved the best for last! I saw this bottle in a recent Vintages release and was intrigued by its origin: Luxembourg. I had already ordered a case of wine so didn't add it - luckily a much smarter person bought it for me. :) This is a lovely summer sparkler from 100% Pinot Noir and made in the traditional method (how Champagne is made). It is all wild strawberry on the nose and the crisp, dry palate has just enough bready shortcake to give it depth along with its freshness. It has a fine mousse that tickles the nose and it is just darn pretty in the glass. If you haven't guessed, I love this wine. A great lunch wine served with quiche, ham and cheese croissants or a nice plate of charcuterie. But perhaps best on a sunny afternoon with someone you love.
If you want to learn more about how rosé is made, please see my previous article Pink is the New Red...or it is the New White…? And to find some great Niagara rosés and interviews with winemakers, please see It's Time for Rosé, Seriously.
Until next time, stay safe and healthy and enjoy your wine.
Anjana