Rise of the Rosés
As spring warms through into summer, we think about dusting off our barbecues
and enjoying the al fresco life in warmer weather, and at the Old Butcher’s Wine
Cellar in Cookham, their thoughts also turn to Rosé wine! Here's what the team there had to say about it...
'Rosé has now moved away from its old image of being blandly unadventurous or
too sweet for most palates, and the public taste has also moved on to drier and
far more interesting offerings that those of even 20 years ago. From herbal and
savoury to full-berried and fruity.
'Firstly, though, to dispel the main Rosé myth. Rosés are not usually produced by
mixing red and white wine. In fact, in France, it is illegal to produce a still Rosé this
way. There are a couple of methods of production but, for the most part, Rosés
are produced in the same way as red wine. Up until the Middle Ages, most
‘red’ wines would have resembled today’s Rosés being a far lighter tint than
nowadays. The longer the juice and skin are together in the vat after pressing, the deeper the colour of the resulting wine. For a Rosé, the grape skins are left in
contact with the juices for around one to three days. The depth and hue of colour is also reliant on the variety of black grape used. We know that the pale salmon
pink of Provence is typically dry, but a darker pink rosé could equally be so.
Rosés can be made from most black-skinned grapes. The dominant grape of the
Provence Rosé is Grenache and it is often found alongside Cinsault, Mouvedre,
and Carignan, a Spanish Rosado might also favour Grenache or Tempranillo whilst New Zealand often uses the tricky to grow but rewarding Pinot Noir. Each
different varietal will give the Rosé its individual character. The lighter structure of most Rosé’s and their limited time in contact with the skins means they are often best drunk young and chilled. They suit the slight chargrilled flavour of grilled meats, aubergines or halloumi, but are also light enough to complement a number of salads, which is why they suit barbecues so well. Of course they can be enjoyed crisp and cool on their own too!
'At our big Rosé Tasting from 21st May to 23rd May we’ve got Rosés from Chile,
Italy, France (Provence, Languedoc, Rhône and the Loire) and New Zealand to try
with prices ranging from £5.99 to £14.99 a bottle. The Tasting will run in the shop – High Street, Cookham SL6 9SQ on the Thursday and Friday between 5pm and 9pm and all day Saturday from 10am to 7pm.'
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