WINE NOTES:

It’s a fun wine for summer sipping, but versatile rosé also has a sophisticated side and is perfect paired with canapés.

best rosés

When I first started judging wine shows around 15 years ago, doing the rosé class was a quick and rather depressing affair. There were about 20 wines, and few were any good. These days however, rosé classes often number around 100 wines and are a reliable source of gold medals. The judging table is a rainbow of pink hues – palest onion skin, candyfloss, deepest watermelon and salmon are all typical – and the well-made wines show a range of styles from fruity, berry-rich numbers to subtle, savoury ones. Rosé is undoubtedly a pretty wine but it’s also surprisingly versatile, straddling as it does red and white styles. It’s a great food wine and while well suited to frivolity, can also offer substance and sophistication.

Rosés tend to vary between bone dry to off-dry, with very occasional wines sweet enough to have with light puddings. Generally though, they’re light-bodied and fresh and fruity in style. Because grape skins contain astringent tannins, rosés’ minimal skin contact time (see right) means these wines are also low in the drying tannins found in red wines. Rosés can be still or sparkling and offer delicious aromas and flavours of ripe strawberries, raspberries and crushed cherries, sweet citrus, watermelon, honeydew melon, spices and fresh herbs.

While any red grape can be used (and you can guarantee globally, almost all will have been) most New Zealand rosés are made from pinot noir and are typically released just in time for summer sipping. Perfectly chilled, their vibrant, fruity best is captured within six to 12 months of release.

Rosé is great on its own as an aperitif or just add canapés – smoked salmon blinis, fresh sashimi or goat’s cheese tartlets are especially good matches. They also suit savoury tapas, and will happily partner many Thai, Indian and Mediterranean-style dishes. Rosés with a touch of sweetness can also be a lovely way to finish off a meal, paired with perfectly ripe summer fruit.