HOW TO FIND ROSÉ RENAISSANCE FUN FACTOR
All you need to know to stay in the pink is that no two wines are alike
The interest in Rosé, and consequently sales, are at an all-time high after nearly a decade of growth. I’ve never seen so many Rosé wines in the marketplace, and they are coming from every corner of the wine world. To say pink wine is a thing is an understatement.
It would appear now is the time in the wine drinking year when consumers want a break from tannin, oak and alcohol in favour of fun, freshness and, well, more fun. It’s also very evident producers and retailers agree, as the number of labels and listings grows daily.
The problem is understanding what is out there. In his excellent book Perfect Pairings a Master Sommelier’s Practical Advice for Partnering Wine and Food (University of California Press), author Evan Goldstein states “a Rosé is Rosé except when it is … a Rosé!”
Goldstein’s indecision stems from the multitude of styles on the market. From colourless to pink, to red, to near black there is no blueprint — and that extends to how much sugar may or may not be in the bottle. From dry to sweet and everything in between, the very best Rosé are often only exceeded by the worst.
Whether fad or fashion, pink is in and whenever a wine style begins to capture the imagination of consumers a certain sector of the industry jumps into action and produces some of the most forgettable versions of the style in question. Rosé is no exception.
It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the Rosé renaissance but you should do your homework. Most Rosé begins life as a red wine, inside a tank fermenting on its skins. The trick is to get the juice off the skins in a short period of time, stealing only a hint of colour and with little or no tannin. From that point on, it is treated more like a white wine.
Similarly, the wine should be chilled as if it’s a white wine, although I recommend you attune the temperature to the amount of residual sugar. The sweetest should be well chilled, while the driest are best served with only the slightest amount of chill on the bottle.
When the warm weather finally arrives, consider serving your pinks outdoors in the setting best suited to the nature of these wines. Goldstein prefers the lighter, drier Vin Gris style Rosé that comes from using lighter grapes such as Pinot Noir or
ROASTED LEMON GRANITA
In Live Fire, chef Michael Chiarello embraces the burn, the char and the smoke. And listen, if you are going to grill, you might as well grill dessert, too. This sweet-tart lemon slush is a palate-cleansing treat.
12 lemons, halved
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) honey
3/4 cup (185 mL) sugar
2 star anise
1 tsp (5 mL) anise seed
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) black pepper
1. Heat a gas or wood-fired grill on high for 10 minutes. Place lemon halves cut side down on grill. Cook until grill marks appear and lemons look plump, about three to five minutes.
2. Place a wire sieve over a large Grenache. The master sommelier says try them with “fish, fowl, white meats, grains, pasta, and summer produce.”
The off-dry and sweet bottles, which tend to dominate the shelves, are another choice, and the advice is to serve them the same way you might a Riesling or a Chenin Blanc. They should be thoroughly chilled and then mingled with big barbecue sauce bowl. Using tongs, squeeze the juice from lemons through sieve.
3. In a small sauce pan on medium heat, warm 1 1/3 cups (315 mL) lemon juice. Add honey, sugar, water, star anise, anise seed and pepper. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
4. Place clean sieve over a bowl and strain lemon juice mixture.
5. Place liquid in a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan and place in freezer. Stir (and scrape) with a fork every 30 minutes until crystals are thoroughly frozen, about three to four hours. Cover with plastic wrap and store in freezer until needed.
6. Chill serving bowls in the refrigerator and serve as a first or final course. Makes four to six servings.
covered burgers or ribs, aromatic curries and a variety of spicy Asian fare.
The choice for buyers can be bewildering. The original benchmark is Provence, although rising demand has seen those prices jump to levels that now often exceed their fun factor, so be selective. Your best bet may be local pinks, although I could add the warning they, too, are pushing
the price-value ceiling.
I have become hooked on the almost colourless versions of Rosé, and as it happens the palest Rosés tend to boast the finest in ethereal, fruit flavours and finesse with a minimum of residual sugar. Modern techniques have made it possible to achieve Provence-like wines wherever serious wine is made, and that makes the actual grape variety a less crucial ingredient when it comes to making fun Rosé.
This weekend we offer you a short selection of pinks readily available in the local market. It is up to you to decide which style of pink you prefer, and how much fun you want to have.
WINE MATCH
Roasted Lemon Granita as a first course is a challenging match. If you must pair it with wine, a sparkling Moscato or Prosecco would be the way to go.