Global notes

With spring in the air, Jane Parkinson turns our attention to French rosé

TEASING US with the promise of sun and good times, a glistening glass of rosé can’t help but bring home that feel-good factor. For all its fun associations, though, the rosé category has really grown up in recent times and is challenging our instincts as a result.

In the past decade, rosé has matured from a one-trick pony of psychedelic sugar bombs (for which there is still a huge market, by the way, so let’s not mock) to developing an army of rosés that are elegant, serious, dry, more expensive and paler in colour.

This light colour is so important for us wine drinkers. We seem inherently drawn to a certain type of colour when it comes to pink wine, and we can’t help but draw conclusions about how it will taste as a result – a very hard habit to break, no matter how much of a wine connoisseur we consider ourselves to be. One region alone has inspired rosé’s colour du jour, Provence, but is it the colour that’s fashionable or the intensity of it? Whether it’s flamingo pink or a lychee orange-pink, it’s the degree of colour, or lack of, that really carries most weight now – so much so that some rosés are now difficult to spot as pink at all.

One of the most consistently underrated aspects of this new breed of complex rosés is just how sensationally they pair with food; their subtle colour belies the complexity within, and tests our prejudices even further. From cured or cooked shellfish, cheese and mildly spiced curries, to charcuterie, a whole range of salads and even desserts based on soft red fruits, there are oceans of food-matching options for these serious rosés; far more than many of us give them credit for.

Another big recent change we’ve seen is price. While some appear to be tremendous value, others seem punchy for a wine that’s ultimately designed to quench our thirst on a hot day.

But there’s that rosé prejudice creeping in again. Just like our misunderstanding of colour, we incorrectly think of rosé as nothing but a beach/garden/terrace pour, and attribute a cheaper price to it as a result. Shame on us! Yes, rosés thrive in such outdoors environments, but the complexity of flavour – from Provence in particular – does the region and general category proud.

The more basic Provençal rosés of old provided refreshment and little more, but this is now consistently balanced out by red-fruit ripeness, too, delivering an altogether more complex wine that logically commands a higher price.

PROVENCE IS the stuff of wine dreams for many people, and understandably so. Every vineyard is within 40km of the coast, and these Mediterranean vines bask in a glorious 3000 sunshine hours a year. The long, dry growing season and strong winds whistling through the vineyards happily contribute to a lack of diseases. And even though Provence hasn’t necessarily undergone modernisation like many other wine regions in southern France, the modernisation of varieties has changed its DNA. Carignan has been side-lined for the likes of grenache, syrah and even cabernet sauvignon. These international varieties might be more commercially pleasing for producers’ bank balances, but they have

unquestionably also delivered on flavour and concentration, too. The largest subregion here is Côtes de Provence. Mostly found on the eastern side of the wider region, it accounts for approximately 20,000ha of vineyards, while more than 80 per cent of its production is pink. The second-largest appellation is Coteaux d’Aix-enProvence, coming in at about 4000ha of vineyard land, found north and west of the town Aix-en-Provence. While these areas are useful to know (and of course there are more besides), ultimately Provence is so vast that quality varies considerably, so it’s a case of getting to know the good producers rather than relying on the appellation as a guide.

Two locations provide the exception to this rule, and both lie between Marseille and Toulon. The first is Bandol, which is famous for rosés with deep colour, going against the general grain, and rich flavour, while Cassis is probably better known for its white wines, but delectable rosés are found here too.

While many other regions are nipping at Provence’s heels when it comes to rosé, the general consistency of quality, attractive packaging, association with long Mediterranean summers, and, of course, that seductive pale colour, all still give Provence a significant upper hand, no matter where you drink it or at what time of year.