I love summer for so many reasons – sunshiny days, patios, festivals, and overall everyone is just in a better mood. One my favourite things to do on a beautiful Sunday afternoon is sip on wines that we rarely find in the winter but that are a popular find in the summer. In Toronto, this seems to be rose in general.
I remember when I moved here six years ago; it was a sunny June afternoon and I wanted a glass of rose. So I made my way to Sobeys – yes, Sobeys – thinking wine was available at the grocery store, like everywhere else I have ever lived. Little did I know…
After spending half an hour scouring the aisles for wine, I asked someone where I could find the wine section. The girl looked at me like I was nuts. I looked at her like she was crazy, telling me that I couldn’t buy wine at a grocery store. Ten minutes of arguing later, I drove over to the LCBO, a store that soon became a weekly destination, to find my bottle of rose. On arrival, there was a ton of wine but no dry rose – my thought was I cannot live in a province where it is so difficult to find a good bottle of rose!
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Fast forward six years, I’m still here… And thank God, dry roses have found their place on the shelves of the LCBO. Having spent four years in St. Maarten, drinking a dry rose on Orient Beach became a Sunday afternoon ritual that I have kept going (minus the beach). So let me clarify: when I say rose, I am not referring to a white zinfandel or Mateus. In my opinion, these are not wines – they’re spiked fruit punch (yes I am being a French snob right now). Most dry rose was prominently from France and offered a light dry yet fruity aroma. In the last few years, we’ve seen some great roses come out of other countries including Spain and Canada with bolder flavours and more interesting complexity.
Here are a few suggestions for some great summer patio roses…
CHÂTEAU VAL JOANIS TRADITION SYRAH ROSÉ 2012, $14.95
Rhône, France, Chancel Family
LCBO Tasting Notes
Fairly intense nose that offers up notes of cherry blossoms, garrigue, peach and grapefruit. Quite a mouthfilling rose that shows great tenacity on the palate and exquisite balance. Perfect for sipping on a patio with friends on a warm afternoon, or for dinner with salmon steaks.
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MUGA ROSÉ 2012, $12.95
Rioja, Spain
LCBO Tasting Notes
A rich blend of Garnacha (Grenache), Tempranillo, and Viura that offers up lively red berry, rosewater, citrus, and peach notes. The fruit on the palate presents a sweet-and-tangy complexity backed by bright acidity. A very nice, crisp finish that conjures up some apple towards the end. A fine, versatile rose that will definitely make some friends at the dinner table.
If you really don’t enjoy a rose, I also have some white and light red selections I like…
MONKEY BAY SAUVIGNON BLANC, $13.95
New Zealand
LCBO Tasting Notes
Bright clean yellow straw colour; green, herbaceous aromas with hints of citrus; dry, medium bodied, with canned peas, citrus and herbal flavours; good length.
ERADUS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011, $17.00
Marlborough, New Zealand
Tasting Notes (Michael Cooper, Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines, 2012)
The 2011 vintage is a good buy. Vibrant and racy, with punchy melon and green-capsicum flavours, it shows excellent freshness, intensity and immediacy.
TWO PADDOCKS PINOT NOIR 2008, $39.95
Central Otago, New Zealand
Tasting Notes (Michael Cooper, Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines, 2012)
The 2008 vintage is a blend of Alexandra (70 per cent) and Gibbston (30 per cent) fruit, matured in French oak barriques (30 per cent new). Full-coloured, it has strong cherry, plum, herb and spice flavours, showing excellent complexity.
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Cheers and Happy Summer Sipping!
xo,
Nicki
