Life through Rosé tinted spectacles
Summer is the time for Rosé drinking. What can be better than sitting in your back garden on a warm summers day with a cool glass of rosé in hand? And yet more and more of you are drinking it year-round too as you know it is an ideal aperitif and in many cases a great food match too, as we we look at that later.
Rosé comes in all colours – just take a look at our rosé page on our website for a snap-shot - and the tint of your rosé is often a great indicator of where it comes from. But how and why are there so many shades of rosé?
The main rosé grapes are red varietals Grenache, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Mourvedre, Sangiovese, Malbec and Zinfandel, frequently blended with a lot of regional additions too, but they all have one thing in common - all grape juice is clear. The shade of your rosé, whether it be a lightly stained delicate provençal or a deep pink from Spain, comes from the contact with the red grape skins and as a general rule the longer the skin contact the more intense the colour.
Along with the many shades of rosé of course there are many flavour profiles too. If dry and elegant is your style you need to look at Southern France especially Provence. A wine to typify this style is the finesse-packed Angelvin, from Saint tropez which has a gorgeous fruit mango/peach profile countered by elegant acidty and a smoothness to the palate, a well-deserving medal winner. Further afield but still packing in the elegance in is the Cape Coral Mourvèdre Rosé from South Africa with abundant fruit notes backed by clean mineral notes, simply stunning. This style of delicate rosé is to be enjoyed as an aperitif or with light 
seafood dishes or salads.
For something a little deeper in colour and intense flavour we can look to Spain. Their rosés are almost always a little darker in colour but no less fresh and inviting to drink. Valdepalacios rosado from Rioja is Grenache focussed offering intense fruity aromas which continue onto the palate yet with a lovely fresh finish. This more intense style of rosé makes it a great versatile food match, so great for BBQ's where all manner of foods can be found.
Whatever your style we have the right tint for you; whether its sweet or dry, light or dark pop into the shop and see what we have to suit you.
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