Welcome to bottle2glass a blog of what I love….. WINE!!
The first day of summer has come and gone. But there is
always time to enjoy Rosé!
With the first signs of summer you will notice wine stores starting to bloom with Rosé!
Yes Rosé is the perfect wine for the summer season, but I
enjoy it year round and so can you. Rosé can be enjoyed with all types of food
all season. From Salads with seafood to grilled chicken or grilled sausages to that Thanksgiving Turkey.
The list is endless!
Many people think Rosé is a blend of red and white wines. This one of three methods of making Rosé. I briefly mention the three different ways to make make still Rosé below.
1) Maceration -
In the maceration method the red grapes are lightly crushed and
left with their red skins to macerate for a while. (The colour comes from contact with the grape skins). This process
can last from 2 – 20 hours or 1 to 2 days (depending on the winemaker). Once
the colour the winemaker wants is achieved he/she will stop the process. This
is the time the winemaker will remove the must (skins, pulp, stems and pips).
2) Saignée (San-yay)
First few hours of making red wine, some of the juice is
bled off and then put into a vat to make Rosé. Saignée wines are not as common
as the Maceration method and may be harder to find. This method makes a richer bolder rosé.
3) Blending Method
This method is not very common with still Rosé. This method is illegal in parts of
France. With the blending method the winemaker uses a little bit of red wine
and adds it to the white wine to make the rosé. It does not take much red wine
to colour the white wine. The only place I researched that use this method is in Champagne for some of there sparkling wines.
Here is a small sample of some varietals used in making rosé.
Each varietal gives the wine a unique style of wine: Dry – Grenache, Syrah and
Pinot Noir; Fruity – Sangiovese; Savory – Cabernet Sauvignon; Sweet – Zinfandel.
There are many other varietals that are used to make Rosé wine.
Some terms to help you to describe Rosé: strawberry, pink
grapefruit, raspberry, sweet cherry, sour cherry, wild strawberry, and cranberry are only a few.
Below you will find my list of Rosé’s we enjoyed recently. Hope you enjoy them as much as we have.
Cristia Collection - Cótes de Provence - 2015
A nice rosé from Cótes de Provence this wine is made with 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 5% Cinsault. It has a nice light pink colour with aromas of melon, and ripe strawberries. On the palate I found citrus, watermelon with some tropical fruit and nice acidity. This wine can be enjoyed with seafood or light pasta. You may be able to find this one at a BC Liquor store for $25.99 plus taxes and deposit. If you find this one you may want to grab a bottle or two.
2015 Clos du Soleil Rosé
This is our go to rosé all season. This rosé is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. I found aromas of vanilla bean, raspberry and cranberry. On the palate there was raspberry, rhubarb and a hint of cherry. This wants to be paired with food like roasted pork or with a charcuterie board. A specialty wine store like Everything Wine or Overwaitea Foods carries this wine. YES Overwaitea Foods is now selling BC VQA Wines. I have found the three Overwaitea locations that are selling BC VQA wines. They are located in South Surrey, East Maple Ridge and Kelowna. I understand there will be more that will be carrying BC VQA wines.
2015 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Blanc - Oeil De Perdrix
A new wine from the producers of some very good Pinot Noir. This is a limited offering Rosé produced from Pinot Noir. This Rosé has aromas of citrus, strawberry and a hint of raspberry. These carry on to the palate with pink grapefruit, and lemon zest. Finishes with great acidity and a long finish. Get this one while it last! Can be found at a BC Liquor Store for $28.99 plus taxes and deposit. This fine Rosé can be enjoyed on its own or enjoy it with grilled vegetables or grilled pork chops.
Cristia Collection - Cótes de Provence - 2015
A nice rosé from Cótes de Provence this wine is made with 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 5% Cinsault. It has a nice light pink colour with aromas of melon, and ripe strawberries. On the palate I found citrus, watermelon with some tropical fruit and nice acidity. This wine can be enjoyed with seafood or light pasta. You may be able to find this one at a BC Liquor store for $25.99 plus taxes and deposit. If you find this one you may want to grab a bottle or two.
2015 Clos du Soleil Rosé
This is our go to rosé all season. This rosé is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. I found aromas of vanilla bean, raspberry and cranberry. On the palate there was raspberry, rhubarb and a hint of cherry. This wants to be paired with food like roasted pork or with a charcuterie board. A specialty wine store like Everything Wine or Overwaitea Foods carries this wine. YES Overwaitea Foods is now selling BC VQA Wines. I have found the three Overwaitea locations that are selling BC VQA wines. They are located in South Surrey, East Maple Ridge and Kelowna. I understand there will be more that will be carrying BC VQA wines.
A new wine from the producers of some very good Pinot Noir. This is a limited offering Rosé produced from Pinot Noir. This Rosé has aromas of citrus, strawberry and a hint of raspberry. These carry on to the palate with pink grapefruit, and lemon zest. Finishes with great acidity and a long finish. Get this one while it last! Can be found at a BC Liquor Store for $28.99 plus taxes and deposit. This fine Rosé can be enjoyed on its own or enjoy it with grilled vegetables or grilled pork chops.
2015 NK'MIP Rosé
This Rosé from the Okanagan Valley is made using the saignée method. It has a deep pink hue with aromas of strawberry, and grapefruit. On the palate I got pink grapefruit, and tart cranberry. This wine was tart and sharp which will suit a hot day on the patio. You can find this one in the BC Liquor Stores for $17.99 plus taxes and deposit.
This Rosé from the Okanagan Valley is made using the saignée method. It has a deep pink hue with aromas of strawberry, and grapefruit. On the palate I got pink grapefruit, and tart cranberry. This wine was tart and sharp which will suit a hot day on the patio. You can find this one in the BC Liquor Stores for $17.99 plus taxes and deposit.
Enjoy these wines and remember to leave me your comments.
Ciao for now!!
