Rosé is quite often overlooked as a wine variety. There are some very average ones out there, as there is with any variety, however the more of them I try, the more I realise that rosé can be really dynamic and interesting.
This is no official definition but my understanding of rosé is that it can be made from any type of red grape. The difference between a red and rosé is the time you leave the skins in with the grape juice to macerate - resulting in a more mellow flavour and colour. It seems you don't get those tannins either making it a very easy wine to drink without food.
Typically most rosés I've had have had that vanilla and strawberry flavour. Some of them have been really buttery, almost to the point of tasting like movie popcorn (looking at you, Esk Valley malbec blend rosé).
This month one of my best friends who also loves wine, and I stumbled across a rosé tasting at one of our local wine stores.
We tasted a wide range from France, Corsica, Spain, Lebanon (!), Central Otago and Italy I think.
They were the:
Domaine de Paris, Pettale de Rose, Hrieure de Montezargues, Conde de Valedmar, Terra Sangta and Domaine Fazi Corse.
I probably spelt half though wrong as they were scribbled badly in my notebook.
The one I loved and will definitely return to get a bottle was the Conde de Valedmar. It is made from rioja. Utterly delicious.
The one I found most interesting but not exactly to my palate, was the Domaine Fazi Corse from Corsica. It actually tasted really salty. I know nothing of the vineyard but I'm imagining it was from a vineyard by the sea.
The Lebanese one wasn't actually for sale, just to taste. It was beautiful and quite different. It really tasted like it had spent some time in oak. I know there is a vineyard in the mountains of Lebanon that does burgundy varieties and took out some French awards a while back. I wonder if it's the same one. In any case it was a nice suprise as when I think Middle East I don't think wine.
Terra Sangta was interesting. The label was beautiful and the vineyard based on Felton Road. I was surprised I'd never heard of it before as Felton is not a long road. It was a beautiful pinot noir rosé, a safe choice for the kiwi palate.
My favourite way to drink rosé at the moment is in a Deepest Darkest Peru though. That's a cocktail my friend made up for me that we now list. I wanted something with pisco and passionfruit and he managed to slip rosé in it too. Not only is it delicious but also so brilliant because pisco, rosé and passionfruit are the first three things I think of when I think Peruvian drinks, but never in the same glass. Peru actually makes quite ok rosé near Ica in the desert south of Lima.
I'm looking forward to trying a few more rosés before the summer is done.
