Provence rosé has been responsible for changing the way we think about rosé wines. One wine, Whispering Angel, was the game-changer. I will take a look at it, and other Provence rosés, next week. But can other regions make rosés that are every bit as good as those in Provence? The Whispering Angel effect has seen attempts from virtually every wine region around the world.
Making rosé requires a delicate hand, but it can suit producers. As consumption of red wines drops, a winemaker may have an excess of red grapes to hand that can easily be transformed into rosé. It takes less time to make and doesn’t require ageing. It can also be a useful way to use up slightly underripe grapes.
Provence rosé is very pale in colour, with fresh acidity and a dry finish. Tried blind, I suspect many would guess it was a white wine. Most other rosés try to replicate this style, while others are richer and fruiter, although still dry.
Most rosé is made by macerating the crushed grapes in the juice for anything from four to 48 hours. The longer juice and skins are in contact, the deeper the colour. Some producers macerate red and white grapes together. The colour of a rosé does not indicate a level of sweetness, merely how long the skin contact was and the grape variety used.
Rosé goes with a wide variety of foods, including summery salads, barbecued fish and chicken, and spicy Mediterranean dishes. This week, we look at four rosés from outside Provence, including one from Portugal and three from the Languedoc.
Very pale in colour with lively fresh raspberry and strawberry fruits, finishing bone dry. A very stylish, Provence-style rosé.
A fruitier style of rosé with textured ripe strawberries and dark fruits finishing dry. Good value for money.
From Baggot Street Wines, Dublin 4; Deveney’s, Dublin 14; Corkscrew, Dublin 2; Worldwide Wines, Waterford
Nice, fragrant, floral nose, with concentrated redcurrant and red cherry. Bone dry, piquant and very tasty. Drink solo or with food.
From Whelehans, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18
An excellent, crisp, dry rosé, pale in colour with delicious, elegant strawberry, raspberry and white peach fruits.
From Mitchell & Son, The Vaults, Dublin 2 and Glasthule, Co Dublin; Avoca, Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow and Dunboyne, Co Meath; and Boggan’s, Rosslare, Co Wexford