May 2018
Rose Reigns Supreme
May, 2018 Filed in: Wine varieties
Every cellar is not complete without a Rose. If you did not get on the Pink Pinot Grigio bandwagon, this month we have two options, two very different Rose styles for you to not miss out. Roses are the essential summer resort, and quite surprisingly is the main wine quaffed by Europeans, especially the Mediterranean French, specifically Provence. Rose wines can vary from dry, but very fruity wines with no residual sugar to sweeter White Zinfandels and our feature Pink Moscato.
More and more though, many of the Roses are a blend of two or three grape varieties. The varieties chosen tend to be very fruit wines such as Grenache, Shiraz and Pinot Noir. They can either be produced commercially by fermenting the wine on the skins for a brief period of time to lend the pink colour, or juice is added after fermentation is complete. When we make wines from kits, the latter method is employed.
Typically they are consumed well chilled as an aperitif, something you would have before a meal. Or if you are like most, that time before a meal can extend many hours before a meal, insert smiley emoticon here. But more and more they are being paired with foods such as seafood, fish (try it with cedar plank salmon), salads, light meal dishes or even barbecued foods particularly those with sweet sauces, like ribs. So, get on the bandwagon, try a Rose and be ready to toast each other on a warm summer day on the deck in your backyard, or dare we say a picnic in the park. Winemaker tip… I always make my Rose the previous spring. I plan to start the new Atmosphere Australian Pinot Syrah Rose.
More and more though, many of the Roses are a blend of two or three grape varieties. The varieties chosen tend to be very fruit wines such as Grenache, Shiraz and Pinot Noir. They can either be produced commercially by fermenting the wine on the skins for a brief period of time to lend the pink colour, or juice is added after fermentation is complete. When we make wines from kits, the latter method is employed.
Typically they are consumed well chilled as an aperitif, something you would have before a meal. Or if you are like most, that time before a meal can extend many hours before a meal, insert smiley emoticon here. But more and more they are being paired with foods such as seafood, fish (try it with cedar plank salmon), salads, light meal dishes or even barbecued foods particularly those with sweet sauces, like ribs. So, get on the bandwagon, try a Rose and be ready to toast each other on a warm summer day on the deck in your backyard, or dare we say a picnic in the park. Winemaker tip… I always make my Rose the previous spring. I plan to start the new Atmosphere Australian Pinot Syrah Rose.