Think Pink If red wine is made from red grapes and white wine is made from white grapes, then… pink grapes? Hailing from wine regions around the globe, pink wine (often called ‘rosé’ or ‘blush wine’) is made from red skinned grapes and comes in many different forms. From cloyingly sweet to bone dry with every style in between, winemaking techniques for pink wines vary depending upon its winemaker and region of origin, as do the grape varieties used to make it. North Americans tend to have a slight prejudice against rosés because we relate them closely to California’s off-dry White Zinfandels, at their peak of popularity in the 1980’s. Despite Sutter Home’s claim to have “invented the varietal 30 years ago” White Zinfandel is not in fact a grape varietal, but rather it is a marketing term made famous by such wineries in effort to make use of an excess of red zinfandel grapes in the vineyards while satisfying an American taste for white wine. It is perhaps the ubiquitous ‘White Zin’ then that we have to thank as North American wine consumers for our perception of pink wines on the whole. But there are so many different styles of rosés produced around the world, with so many flavour profiles. Take France for example – this gastronomic wonderland is home to many of the world’s finest rosés, tending towards dryness in style. Northern France’s Champagne appellation features Brut Rosé – the Katharine Hepburn of wines. This rich and creamy red-berry reminiscent bubble is appropriate for even the most special of occasions. Moving southward, France’s Loire and Burgundy regions show a tendency toward lighter hues of rosés. Winemakers in these areas choose to press the grapes almost immediately upon harvest which results in a pale pink wine (or ‘vin gris’ in French which translates to mean ‘gray wine’). Further south still lies the Côtes du Rhône appellation, renowned for their historical skill at crafting rosés. The Rhône Valley is home to the famous Tavel wine (nicknamed “The King of Rosés” since King Phillipe le Bel declared it his favourite), as well as Côtes du Ventoux, Costières de Nimes, and Côtes du Luberon, all impressive dry rosés in their own rights. These wines offer complex aromas of red fruit with a hint of tannin on the finish, making them an ideal element to food and wine pairing. And France is but one example of the diversity of pink wine styles being produced throughout the world. Spain, for instance, takes their rosé so seriously that they have two names for it: ‘rosado’, indicating a lighter shade of pink, and ‘clarete’ indicating a shade that is just shy of red. Rioja is Spain’s flagship pink producer, creating full-bodied wines with fresh berries on the palate – great with backyard barbecues. Other pink producers include Portugal, Italy, Australia and of course our very own Canada. Some Canadian wine producers such as Sumac Ridge and Calona Vineyards have hopped on the rosé bandwagon with off-dry wines made from a combination of pinot noir and ehrenfelser, and others are trying a less traditional approach to pink wine making. Niagara’s Jackson-Triggs produces a “White Merlot” that is vibrant pink in colour while the Okanagan Valley’s Gray Monk Winery makes their blush from a grape called “rotberger” (it tastes a lot better than it sounds). Pink wines are great with barbecues, patios and spring. They’re also classic romance wines, ranking right up there with custom-made bouquets and carriage rides through the park. But if you ask me, the best thing about pink wines is the remarkable diversity of styles from which there is to choose. ‘Rosé’, ‘blush’, ‘rosado’ – call it what you will. The next time you’re trying to decide between red and white, split the difference! Think pink… you’ll be glad you did. FEATURED WINES: Laurent Charles Brotte Tavel “Les Eglantiers”
Rosé $19 - $22 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Rosada $12 - $15 Pol Roger Brut Rosé $50 - $67 Gray Monk Rotberger $13 - $16 |
