I will confess that for most of the year, I don’t drink rosé wine. No real reason why not– it does the job of a white wine and matches most of the same kinds of food. But, but, but – pink is summer right? And nothing more? Well, it often feels that way and I bet it’s probably the same for you too.
So now that Summer is definitely here, all those pink wines you’ve been hoarding, waiting for the sunshine can actually now be opened and enjoyed. Here are a few which have arrived on my doorstep recently.
Robertson Lightly Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé R50 from selected retailers
This is quite a fun little number – a still wine given a little thrill from some added CO2 and I can see it appealing to lots of folk this summer. Lots of strawberry fruit, fairly fresh and pretty frothy, it’s a good reminder that we need to take things easy in summer and not every wine has to be a world-beating serious complicated affair. Try it with fresh Pavlova for dessert.
Krone Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2015 R60 from selected retailers
Oooh – this is an interesting wine! Well, maybe not the wine as such – Chardonnay Pinot Noir is a tried and tested winner with huge numbers of the drinking public and this one is a worthy member of that band being fresh, zesty and uncomplicated if only vaguely pink. No, the interesting thing here is the seal – it’s the brand new Helix twist-off cork which can be used to re-seal the bottle. I mean, only if you want to. If you can’t drink it all at once. #Dontbesuchawimp
De Bos Walker Bay 47 Rosé 2015 R70 from selected retailers
A totally unique wine, this is made from 47 – yes, you read that correctly – different grape varieties from The Vine Garden of Leilenfontein in Walker Bay. Lead contenders are Shiraz and Cabernet but it’s a pretty sure thing that if you can think of a grape variety, it’s in this wine. It’s fun, fresh, fruity – oh and did we mention it’s also Fairtrade?? Really, what else could you possibly want from a summer pink?!
Kloovenburg White from Red Sparkling Shiraz R86 cellar door
I had a red sparkling shiraz from Australia the other day and it left me thinking ‘Why? WHYYYY?? Why don’t they make it pink like Kloovenburg and then we’d all be happy??’ If you’re going to use Shiraz to make a bubbly, then this is the way to do it – make it so it’s crisp and fresh, with a slight hint of spice and a huge hint of strawberries. And then serve it with a summer salad involving those strawberries, black pepper and creamy feta cheese – yum!
Babylonstoren Mourvedre Rosé 2015 R89 cellar door
I love this grape variety when it’s made into a pink – if truth be told, I think it works much better this way than as a big, full-bodied tannic red wine. If you want to know why I say this, then try this wine – it’s got a nice crisp bite and a fair amount of spice but then it has a nice rounded mid-palate which makes it a winner with anything Mediterranean – think garlic, olives, salads and herbs. Pretty much like the food in Babylonstoren’s restaurants in fact!
Kleine Zalze Brut Rosé NV R90 cellar door
This is one of two new MCCs from Kleine Zalze and apart from the wines themselves being very pleasant indeed, the best thing about them is the price – that’s really impressively low for new MCCs and the wine totally over-delivers. Made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it’s only had 10 months on lees so is definitely going for the fresh, fruity, early-drinking market and it’s priced to match. Yum!
L’Avenir Brut Rosé 2012 R180 cellar door
I’m loving all these new MCC’s cropping up all over the place and this one comes in a smart box as well, all ready for Chrimbo pressies!! It’s a classic blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier and has been 18 months on the lees giving it a surprising amount of structure and weightiness. I’d drink this with food – probably some sushi or maybe some fresh grilled prawns – it’s definitely got lots of personality to go with its bubbles!
Cheers!