Has any other style of wine spawned its own collection of Instagram hashtags? It’s more than a wine, it’s a summer lifestyle, and we’re here to help you #roséallday this season.Whether it’s ‘brosé’ for the guys who aren’t yet willing to admit they like a pink drink, or frosé for those who like their wine in slushy form, here are three reasons why rosé is the perfect summer wine, plus a few South African suggestions to get you started.
It goes with practically any meal
Picnic under the trees with local cheese and charcuterie? Lunchtime snoek braai? Fancy salmon pasta for dinner? Pick a summer feast and we’ll give you the perfect wine to pair with it (yes, we’re going to say rosé). As rosé perfectly straddles the line between white and red wine, it complements light meals – think fish and vegetarian dishes – just as well as it does heartier choices like steak. So, if you find yourself dealing with limited fridge space this season (in a month dominated by watermelon and gammon, we understand every centimetre of fridge space is precious), throw in a few bottles of rosé and you’ll be covered for any meal that comes your way.
But it’s not confined to the table
Yes, it’s universally great with food, but let’s briefly chat about how well rosé goes with other non-food related summer activities: lounging in the pool, chatting with friends on the patio or wiling away those endless hours before the coals are actually ready. Helped along by its relatively low alcohol content and fruit-forward flavour profile, it’s as much a standalone drink as it is a food-pairing wine.
Add ice ice, baby
We’re firm believers that the best wine is the wine you enjoy: whether that happens to be a rare vintage you spent a few thousand rands on or a chilled bottle you picked up from the store for R40 to enjoy with dinner last night. And that brings us to our last point about why rosé is the perfect summer wine: Enjoying it extra chilled can help hide any sharp edges if you happen to be gifted a less-than-stellar bottle this season. Simply serve it straight from the fridge or add a few ice blocks – or frozen grapes, if you’re feeling fancy – to instantly take a meh bottle to something you can sip with a smile.
Our South African rosé picks for this summer:
Delheim Pinotage Rosé
Fat Bastard Pinot Noir Rosé
Waterkloof Wine Estate False Bay Whole Bunch Rosé
