RAISE A GLASS
SOMETIMES I can be such a noggin. I tapped in and out, then in and out, of Twitter to follow a live winetasting organised by the Wine Society and I hunted in vain. Those wine tasting vibes were taking place elsewhere in the ether, on the society’s website community pages. There, people were chatting about two wines with a barbecue theme.
So it was that I was Billy No Mates tasting wine on my own, unaware the communal fun was happening elsewhere.
One of the two wine choices was a pink – spot on for my theme this week: Rosé wines. If I can’t tempt you with some garden-gorgeous pinks in the middle of June, then when can I tempt you?
The rosé taste-tested in the digital world was Rosé Duo des Plages 2017 (£6.75, The Wine Society, 12% abv) of which one keen taster said “the strawberries and melon on the nose shapeshift into something more creamy and peachy in the mouth, surprisingly rounded on the finish”. What a perfect description! I’ll add that I picked up nectarines and a slice of lemon on the nose, with a dry, fruity finish and a good watering of acidity.
Here are some other rosé wines to look out for.
La Vieille Ferme Rosé (£7.49, The Co-op, 12.5%) is prettily peachy and pink perfection. It is a pale blush colour and hails from the southern Rhone, with grenache, syrah and cinsaultgrapes creating a fresh, enjoyable wine with a hint of redcurrants.
Casillero del Diablo Rosé 2017 (£8,50, Tesco, Asda, 13% abv) You’ll probably be familiar with this brand but this is a new light style of rosé from the Chilean team. The blend is mainly syrah, with cinsault and carmenere, and the style is dry and elegant, with red fruits and a peppery edge.
La Terrasse Rosé Pays D’Oc (£10, Sainsbury, 13% abv) I love the classy glass stopper on this southern French pink, which is another blend of three grapes: Grenache, syrah and cinsault. The very best of the grape juices create the wine which then sits on its lees for 40 days. It is deliciously fresh, crisp and vibrant with red fruits and a flash of citrus.
If sparkling is your thing (oooh, yes please) then look out for
Mirabeau en Provence La Folie Rosé (reduced to £10.49 from £13.99 at Waitrose until August 7) which has gentle and refreshing notes of strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant. If you want a day away from alcohol (or maybe you’re a nominated driver) then McGuigan Wines has created a de-alcoholised pink wine McGuigan Delight Rosé (RRP £5, Marks & Spencer) which is pleasantly perfumed, has sweet notes of forest fruits and is ever so lightly spritzy.
Also in my glass… It’s only fair to mention the second barbecue wine which appeared on the Wine Society’s live winetasting: Nero d’Avola La Ferla, Sicilia 2016 (£6.95, 13.5% abv). One keen taster described it as having notes of “cherry cola” and another praised its “black cherries, plum and liquorice”. I’d say it is ripe with black fruits, spice and blackcurrant jam. I bet it would be brilliant with a burnt, barbecued chipolata.
Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.