Summer in the Pink

THERE’S SOMETHING about a cool, pink drink on a hot day that quenches the thirst and brings a smile to the lips. The quintessential pink drink, rosé, is made all over the world. They are produced, for the most part, by lightly pressing red grapes and, in some instances, red wine is added to white wine to give it that lovely pinky colour. The southern Rhone and Tavel in France are the most famous for them, and some of my favourite regions for rosé. The bone dry fairly robust styled Tavel from France’s Rhone region is one of the world’s best and producers such as Perrin ($19.95 for their Tavel 2013) and Chateau d’Aqueria ($21.95 for their Tavel 2013) do lovely versions of it.

The new world has been doing its part to stay in the pink: From Ontario, Malivoire Lady Bug Rosé ($15.95), Tawse Sketches of Niagara ($15.95), Château Des Charmes Cuvée D’andrée Rosé 2012 ($14.95) and Union Rosé ($13.95) are all good examples of the charm and fresh fruit we can get in our rosés. Further afield, in Argentina you can find

well-priced and easy sipping pinks such as Zuccardi Organica Malbec Rosé 2013 an organic wine ($13.95), fruity savoury Kaiken Malbec Rosé 2011 ($11.25) and the incredible value Fuzion Shiraz Rosé ($8.05).

Thirst-quenching sparkling rosés are great to add a festive note to a patio or pool party. You can make a simple spritzer by adding soda water and ice to a glass of rosé. (Two parts wine to one part soda or to your taste.) Or you can go the readymade route and buy a pink bubbly. We make excellent traditional method (same method as is done in Champagne) bubbly rosé in Ontario. Two of my “go to” local pink bubbles are Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catherine Brut Rosé (fresh and lively with a strawberry on toast flavour) and 13TH Street Cuvée 13 Brut Rosé (dry, elegant with a crisp acidity). Both sell for less than thirty dollars.

Those who want the fizz and the fun without the cost do well to look to Spain, a country which makes many millions of bottles of traditional method bubblies (called cava) at low prices. Freixenet is one of the largest cava houses in Spain. They’ve been making natural sparkling wine following the methods used in Champagne since 1914. Their Cordon Rosado Brut from local garnacha and other grapes sells for $13.95. It has a strawberry nose and colour, a silky texture and a ripe red berry flavour.

If you want to splurge on a pink bubbly, the real deal is from the Champagne region in France. Veuve Clicquot has been making rosé Champagne since 1775 and has the reputation of one of the best in pink. La Grande Dame Rosé is their expensive, rich and majestic top of the line at around $500. Their regular sparkling Ponsardin Rose ($80.75) is modelled along the same character as their famous Yellow Label, using predominantly pinot noir with pinot meunier and less than a third chardonnay. Yeasty brioche in bouquet, it has a generous full-bodied ripe red berry character.

Laurent Perrier Cuvée Rosé is the number one selling rosé Champagne in the world and for good cause. Always powerful, complex and full of fruit flavours it’s satisfying despite its price creep over the years to hit near the $100 mark in Canada today. More of a bargain at half the price is Nicolas Feuillatte rosé, like fresh strawberries in a glass.

From Australia come some fairly sweet and fruity bubbly such as Yellowglen Pink Sparkling and Yellow Tail Bubbles Rosé at around the twelve dollar mark. Chile’s Fresita Sparkling wine actually has fresh strawberry purée in it made from Patagonia berries and is the essence of strawberry in the glass. If you like the idea you can make your own of version. Many famous cocktail recipes start with a bubbly and add in liqueurs, fruit purées and juices.

Perhaps the most famous pink bubbly concoction is the Kir Royale – which adds a dollop of cassis liqueur to a sparkler. One winter at Jimmy’s Bar in Aspen I had a terrific new twist on a pink bubbly cocktail made by mixologist Farrah Keanaaina. Called a POM 75 she mixed Plymouth gin with Pomegranate liquor and fresh lemon juice and topped it up with Champagne.

A great sparkling drink using pureed fruit is the famous Bellini created by Harry’s Bar in Venice. The Bellini mixes pureed peach with Prosecco. Do your version using pureed strawberries for a pretty in pink summer drink. —Margaret Swaine