Your Crisp Pink Wines Guide Sorted, This International Rose Day
As the world celebrates International Rose Day, we’re filling you in on how best to enjoy your rose wines, the styles that matter, best food pairings and five of our finest pink wines so you’re set.
There are so many good reasons to hanker for a glass of chilled, delicious rose, any time of day or week. And yet the distinctly pink wine remains a curiously underrated niche with some oenophiles rather unfairly claiming it doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously. That flippant claim couldn’t be further from the truth and the wide celebration of roses on June 24th, earmarked International Rose Day is shining proof that this class of wines deserves respect and its place in the vinous firmament. And we’re gladly according the pink wines due respect with a brief guide on how best to enjoy them, the key styles, food pairings and a list of our best roses to try on its biggest day. So, as the world toasts rose wines, we invite you to savour our bunch of floral and refreshing roses plucked from stellar old and new world estates. Pop the cork on fine rose Champagne and taste exuberant styles from Italy, Argentina and South Africa, expressing a delightful hue of pink and delightful flavours. Pick your favourite bottle and have a splendid International Rose Day. Cheers!
The Rose Style Guide
Bone Dry Provence
Rated hands down the world’s best, this dry and perfumed rose from southern French region of Provence is a treat to the senses. This haloed and sun drenched appellation is widely recognised as the birthplace of rose and its best practitioner, thanks to ideal micro climate and deft winemakers.Sweet White Zinfandel
A signature Californian style produced from the zinfandel grape which America just adores, it’s distinctly sweet, packing a wallop of cherry, strawberry and apricot and generous percentage of residual sugar. Almost three quarters of all Zinfandel fruit in the US is vinified into the sweet, popular pour.Ripe New World
New world countries namely South Africa and Australia have crafted light and medium bodied rose styles, beaming with delicate flavours. Following the lead of Provence winemakers, they’ve successfully turned batches of Grenache and Syrah into refreshingly fruity summer roses, Not very common and yet still a rising niche, full bodied roses from the New World are making their mark in the culinary universe. These rose wines are often described by critics as being just a notch below a light bodied red, say a Pinot Noir. The colour is deeper, there’s intense fruit and just a hint of tannins but there’s good acidity there as a hallmark of rose. some of which also pair nicely with a dinner course or two.
Tips On Enjoying Rose To The Fullest
Serving Temperature
Roses are best enjoyed, chilled down to 12 to 14 degrees. Be sure to dunk the bottle in the fridge for at least four hours before serving to nail the right serving temperature.Ideal glass for roses
Whilst rose wines don’t have a dedicated glass, the classic white wine glass works best. Since most rose wines are on the lighter side and express delicate flavours, the shape and narrow contours of the white wine glass does the job perfectly.Food pairings for roses
Rose wines make sumptuously floral companions to a wide platter of cuisines. Rose wines pair splendidly with a variety of dishes, depending on the given wine’s style which oscillate from light and subtly tinged to ripe and wholesome, salmon pink peaking with floral notes. Light bodied roses go splendidly with salads, feta cheese and grilled shrimp. Medium bodied roses can nicely match a tomato broth, light curries, seafood and grilled meats. The New World teems with great examples of medium bodied rose wines especially from Australia and South Africa that have good body that match with a bunch of Asian dishes like Thai Curry, Chicken Satay and pork ribs. Niche, full bodied roses that show a relatively vigorous palate can in fact pair well with desserts, namely cheesecakes.
Our Best Rose Wines
Matias Riccitelli, Hey Rose 2021
This trendy rose Malbec that gushes with intense floral and citrus aromas. Vinified by a modern and adventurous Argentine winemaker in Mendoza’s high altitude vineyards, this rose drinks light and exuberant.
Billecart-Salmon, Brut Rosé NV
This beautiful pink Champagne that crackles with notes of flowers, citrus and crisp bubbles. The traditional and storied house of Billecart Salmon that makes fine Champagnes redolent with pure fruit and rich texture is revered for fashioning a modern rose style and this pop is sparkling proof of it.
Tenuta Sant Antonio, Scaia Rosato 2020
You can’t go wrong with our bestselling rose. This perennial favourite rose is a real charmer with salmon pink colour and opulent fruit. Produced by a band of brothers in North Italy’s cool Veneto region, the organic rose tasting of cherries and melon, finishing clean.
Susana Balbo, Crios, Rosé 2020
Picked from the house of Argentina’s first woman winemaker, this superb rose impresses with a great balance of red fruit and crisp acidity. Vinified from handpicked grapes in Mendoza’s finest sub region, this wine has impressed critics and enthusiasts alike.
