The Wine Effect ~ Spring Into Rosé
Host ~ Renée Sferrazza
Here we look deep into the world of wine and pull out all the useful information that you can bring into your own wine journey. Wine is pleasure, wine is beauty, wine is simple yet complex. There are so many sides to the world of wine. Follow me, Renée Sferrazza, as I break down the world of wine into simple sips.
As a Court of Master Sommeliers Certified Sommelier, CAPS Board member, wine educator, wine writer, importer and contracted peddler of fortified juice, exploring wine has become more than just a driving force in my life. I’m passionate about bringing a different side of wine to the table. A side that’s romantic, but not pretentious and above all, practical. Essentially, I’ve dedicated my life to grapes - welcome to The Wine Effect.
Spring has sprung, and you know what that means – It is Rosé season! Rosé has a way of changing my state of mind. Their bright ‘drink me’ colour and beautiful aromatics pull me into a good mood every time. Wine always has the power of taking you to a far-off place, but with a glass of Rosé in hand, my mind is always teleported to somewhere warm and inviting. I begin to imagine the seascape views in the South from France, the sun-soaked coastline of Croatia’s Adriatic waters, or even to the Sandbanks Park of Prince Edward County. All of which are not in my apartment, as I am sure we all feeling the need to getaway.
Rosé is a highly versatile wine style, made in dry or sweet and even still or sparkling styles. The most common way to make Rosé is the Maceration Method. Where red grapes are crushed and sit on their skins to colour the wine. The more extended the Maceration, the darker the colour of the Rosé. Light colour Rosés only spend a couple of hours on the skins, but a darker coloured Rosé spends longer. Darker-coloured Rosé wines have more structure and red wine. characteristics, while the lighter styles can mimic white wines in many respects.
Another myth to debunk about Rosé is that the colour of the wine will determine its sweetness level. From being a Sommelier on the restaurant floor, I have had countless conversations about this, and I have to say it is genuinely a total myth. Dark-coloured Rosé wines don’t always mean that you will experience a sweeter wine in the glass. The darker the colour of a Rosé, the longer the skin contact and the more red wine characteristics the final wine will take. What makes a Rosé sweeter or not depends on the grape and the winemaking style. Sweeter Rosés are made with more fruit-forward grapes, like Zinfandel, and keep their sweet notes by not allowing the wine to ferment to dryness.
No matter what Rosé you are drinking, they are fun, versatile wines and are just delightful and delicious. Here are a couple of my favourite Roses I have been diving into lately!
Local and Loving It With Rosehall Run’s Pixie Sparkling Rosé
This wine is a classic summer go-to of mine from one of my most admired wineries in Prince Edward County. This Rosé is made in the Charmat Method, just like Prosecco, and is a blend of Vidal and Pinot Noir. It is a softy off-dry wine that is always a good time drinker. Filled with notes of peach, apricots, tangerine, and ruby grapefruit. I have been sipping this wine every vintage for nearly 7 years. However, this year, Rosehall Run has released their Pixie Petite Rose Spritzer in a slim 355mL can, and it is a perfect companion for some park sipping adventures!
Sold at $19.95 for the classic 750mL bottle and Pixie Petite for $3.95/ you can find both on the shelves of the LCBO or by ordering direct from Rosehall Run.
Feeling the South of France Vibes with Gérard Bertrand’s Cote des Roses
Provence is a classic region of choice for Rosé in the South of France but just to the west of this well-known region is the Languedoc. The Languedoc region stretches along the south of the country and has its shores on the Mediterranean Sea. Gérard Bertrand has been a promotor of this winemaking region and makes some of the most recognizable wines from the Languedoc on the market. The Cotes des Roses Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. A bright, soft pink colour wine that brings to the glass aromas of grapefruit, fresh flower, peach and watermelon. On the palate, the wine is crisp and lean with a fresh finish and a round texture.
You can find this eye-catching bottle sold on the LCBO shelves for $18.95/bottle. Or why not order a case for the summer from Family Wine Merchants Canada.
Exploring Croatia’s Adriatic Coast with Testament Winery’s Opolo Rosé
Croatia is one of the world's old winemaking regions. The country is vastly diverse in its wine styles and grape varietals, and while they make look like tongue twisters to pronounce grapes, the wines offer a taste of classic Croatian terroir in the glass!
Making wine on the north Dalmatian coast in the town of Šibenik, Testament really takes the history of their region to heart. Making wines from only native grapes. The Opolo Rose is made from 100% Babić, undergoing only 2 hours of skin contact before fermentation and fermented slowly on stored lees. In the glass, the wine has aromas of yellow roses, nectarine, overripe peaches, jasmine flowers and soft notes of watermelon. The wine is crisp, well structured and has a long finish on the palate that brings those floral characteristics onto the palate!
You can find this wine for purchase by the case from Croatia Unpacked, selling for $20.85/bottle in 6 bottle cases. Or give the Testament Rosé a try on May 16th with my latest event – Croatia Imported! Where I will be diving into the Testament Winery and their Opolo Rose with winemaker Juraj Sladic. Get your tickets to this wine and dine pairing event at:
https://www.croatiaunpacked.com/events
No matter what type of Rosé floats your boat, it is officially Rosé season, so get into the Rosé all-day vibes.
Cheers till next time, drink good wine!