Summer’s Not Over Yet: Are You Getting Enough Vitamin Rosè?

By: Holly Bruns

With its pink hue, crisp flavor and fresh aromas, rosè is a wine made for summer. And sure enough, when the earth begins to tilt a little closer to the sun in our northern hemisphere, the good people at the LCBO fervently stocks shelves, province-wide, with rosy-pink bottles.

In North America, we’ve come a long way from the white Zinfandel and Blush wines of the 70’s. No longer an insipid, sweet drink, rosè has become a wine in its own right. Usually made by allowing the juice of red grapes to sit on the skins for any time between 2 hours and 2 days, the types of grapes, the length of time spent on the skins, and the sugar levels at which the grapes are picked are all careful decisions made by the winemaker. These days, it is definitely okay to drink rosè; a simple flavor profile and palate cleansing acidity make it great with food too.

Try one of these inexpensive bottles the next time you find yourself in your backyard with a corkscrew in-hand.

Remy Pannier Rosè d’Anjou ($12.95): The Loire Valley in France produces a lot of rosè; the cool climate means there’s usually something light and crisp in the bottle like this fruity, fresh version made from mostly Cabernet Franc grapes.

Mezzomondo Rosato ($8.95): This Italian bottle is so cheap you need to buy two. A little fuller than its French counterpart, in the glass it is dry with a slightly bitter edge that makes for good food pairings.

Sandbanks Rosè ($12.95): Don’t neglect the local market. We make great rosè wine in Ontario and much of it is well-priced. This bottle from Prince Edward County has a hint of honey sweetness if that’s your cup of tea.

Holly Bruns is an accredited sommelier with degrees from Algonquin College and the Wine Spirits & Education Trust. She lives in Ottawa and is the drinking force behind the successful blog: Wine Out Loud.