I tasted seven rosé wines recently, six in one sitting last week and the seventh on Sunday afternoon. The first six I tasted without knowing which wine was served. The seventh came to me as a sample after the larger tasting so I couldn't include it with the original six. Two of the seven wines are from France, one from Portugal, and four from B.C.
Hubby kindly poured the first six wines for me in another room and then, in order to keep things organized, he marked the bottles with the number corresponding to the order in which I tasted the wines. After I made my initial notes, hubby poured all six wines (in the same order) into my tasting glasses so I could see and taste them compared to each other.
I tasted the first six wines with a variety of foods: hummus, cured meats and Dijon mustard, cheeses, pickles, cold cooked chicken, ripe strawberries and freshly cracked black pepper, French bread, and tortilla chips.
While I wasn't disappointed with any of the pairings—rosé wines really are food friendly—there were a couple of remarkable pairings: wine number two with the cured meat and mustard and wine number 5 with the ripe strawberries and cracked pepper. Smoked salmon, antipasta, and lightly grilled white meats will also go well with these seven wines.
All the wines were dry, with the exception of number six, which is off-dry. Sometimes the fruitiness of a rosé can make one suspect the wine is sweeter than it actually is. Each of the wines was clean, had good acidity, and were well balanced.
You can buy all these wines at B.C. Liquor Stores and some private stores.
Here is a chart listing the wines and giving brief remarks for each. As well, I've tried to answer the question, "If you could describe this wine in just two words, what would they be?"
Wine #1 |
Road 13 Honest John’s Rosé, 2009 |
Region |
BC, Okanagan Valley |
ABV / Price |
13% / $18 |
Colour |
Light cranberry |
Brief remarks |
Strawberries, smoke + a little rhubarb |
Two words |
tart + tasty |
Wine #2 |
Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine Rosé, 2008 |
Region |
France, Rhône, Tavel |
ABV / Price |
13.5% / $23 |
Colour |
Light strawberry |
Brief remarks |
Ripe strawberries, citrus + herbs |
Two words |
complex + masculine |
Wine #3 |
Domaine Houchart Rosé, 2010 |
Region |
France, Côtes de Provence |
ABV / Price |
12.5% / $17 |
Colour |
Very pale pink |
Brief remarks |
Strawberries, cherries + herbs |
Two words |
light + summery |
Wine #4 |
Gray Monk Rotberger Rosé, 2009 |
Region |
BC, Okanagan Valley |
ABV / Price |
11% / $16 |
Colour |
Pale cherry with a salmon hue |
Brief remarks |
Spiked strawberries, cranberries + minerality |
Two words |
texture + spice |
Wine #5 |
Quails’ Gate Rosé, 2009 |
Region |
BC, Okanagan Valley |
ABV / Price |
13% / $15 |
Colour |
Light salmon with orange hue |
Brief remarks |
Red fruit, tobacco + confectionery |
Two words |
juicy + fruity |
Wine #6 |
Sogrape Gazela Rosé, NV |
Region |
Portugal |
ABV / Price |
10.5% / $11 |
Colour |
Pale pink |
Brief remarks |
Strawberries, citrus + pétillance |
Two words |
off-dry + uncomplicated |
Wine #7 |
Mission Hill Family Estate Five Vineyards Rosé, 2010 (rec'd as sample) |
Region |
BC, Okanagan Valley |
ABV / Price |
12.5% / $15 |
Colour |
Light rose-petal |
Brief remarks |
Red-berry jam, cherries + carnations |
Two words |
refreshing + food-friendly |
Cheers to you!
Copyright © 2011 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.