Lifestyle

In the pink: why rosé is the drink for this summer | Fiona Beckett on wine


While pouring wine at a friend’s book launch recently, I got an opportunity to see which bottles appealed to a random cross-section of my neighbours. It being spring and early evening, comparatively few of them went for the red (a bruiser from the Languedoc called Les Breloques Rouge, £8 Co-op, 13%), while the rest were split evenly between white (which a couple of people requested as a spritzer) and rosé.

There was much curiosity about one of the rosés in particular, a pale, gris de gris style (unavailable in the UK), at which people looked quite suspiciously. And with some justification, because it’s made with sauvignon gris coloured with red grape skins (pink sauvignon, as you will see below, is a bit of A Thing at the moment). Nor were they much taken by a darker Italian rosé (Masi Rosa dei Masi 2017, £14.95 Corking Wines, 12%), which admittedly would have shown better with food.

That’s because people seem obsessed with the baby-pink shade these days – and they expect it to come from Provence. I wish I could tell you that there are loads of better options out there, but given the volumes of Provençal rosé, and the discounts that support it, they’re relatively rare. Character, however, is another matter. You get a bigger bang for your buck in terms of flavour from the neighbouring Languedoc or Rhône. Spain, too, specialises in a darker, more full-bodied style that works better with a barbecue, say.

Lidl, as usual, has the pick of the bargains. True, the very girly Nicoleta Grenache Rosé (12.5%) looks as if it’s been designed for a hen night, but at £4.99 I don’t anticipate too many complaints about that, or about the Dão below , which looks – and tastes – twice as expensive as it is. Aldi also manages to undercut its bigger rivals with a decent Provence rosé at just £6.99 – it’s well worth checking out its Exquisite Collection Sud de France Rosé (£5.99, 12.5%) from Monday.

Bear in mind, as I said the other week, that many 2018 wines have been bottled only recently and will therefore take a few more months to get into their stride. It was interesting to learn at the recent Morrisons tasting that a number of its rosés won’t be released until July. Look out, in particular, for the Moonlight & Rosé Côteaux d’Aix en Provence, in case I forget to remind you nearer the time. Cheesy name, granted, but it’s a clever take on posher Provençal rosés such as Mirabeau.

Four rosés that are drinking well now


Lidl's Cabriz Dão Rosé 2018


Cabriz Dão Rosé 2018

£5.49 Lidl, 12.5%.

Pale Provence-alike from Portugal (and it’s no Mateus rosé, either).


Exquisite Collection Côtes de Provence Rosé 2018, available at Aldi.


Exquisite Collection Côtes de Provence Rosé 2018

£6.99 Aldi, 12.5%.

Textbook Provençal rosé in a classic curvy bottle. Drink with a salad niçoise.


Sainsbury Silver Maki Sauvignon Blanc Blush 2018.


Silver Maki Sauvignon Blanc Blush 2018

£8 Sainsbury’s, 13%.

A Marmite wine: if you’re a fan of New Zealand sauvignon blanc, you’ll love it; rosé purists won’t. Off-dry, but not as sweet as it sounds from the name.


Domaine Les Filles de Septembre 2017


Domaine Les Filles de Septembre 2017

£10.95 Yapp Brothers, 13%.

Mouthwatering rosé from the Languedoc. A blend of syrah, grenache, cinsault and, unusually, cabernet franc.


For more by Fiona Beckett, go to matchingfoodandwine.com



READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.