Think Pink: Picking the perfect Rosé
Published on 25th July 2018
Nothing says ‘summer’ quite like a pink hue in an ice-cold glass on a sunny day. Amidst a very un-British stint of sunshine in the capital, Rosé is officially having a moment. We speak to our Bermondsey Street neighbours at WSET School London for expert advice on picking the perfect bottle for your palate… Pink wine with its flavours of summer berries has always been a seasonal favourite and there are a multitude of styles available. Most Rosé wine is designed to be drunk when young fresh and fruity. What is in the shops now is ready to drink and not to be kept. Rosé wine should be chilled to around 7-10?c the same as a light white wine, this makes it the perfect temperature in this summer heat, don’t forget to keep it cool with the use of an ice bucket or a sleeve that you can keep in the freezer. There are different styles of Rosé for all palates, however all show lovely red fruit flavours such as strawberry, raspberry and red cherries. There are the more medium sweet styles like White Zinfandel from California which are very easy to drink and very easily available commercially, these will also tend to taste a bit of melon and candyfloss too! For another slightly less sweet style there are Rosé wines from the Loire Valley in France such as Cabernet d’Anjou which has very expressive fruit character and extremely refreshing acidity, this wine would pair well with a summer spicy dish, such as some chili and garlic prawns. For dryer styles you can look to Southern France and Navarra and Rioja in Northern Spain. The pale pink wines from Provence in the South of France are delicate, floral and fruity and can easily be drunk as an aperitif or just to while away a summer afternoon. For a bigger food Rosé, Tavel wines in the Southern Rhone are deep pink ripe red berry delights that would pair perfectly with grilled vegetables or oily fish such as salmon or tuna. For a fun bit of Rosé fizz look no further than Cava in Spain where they produce very affordable fresh, lively red fruit sparkles from the local black grape varieties. For dry styles of Cava check for Brut on the label and Demi-Sec for sweeter styles. WSET Certified Educator, Lauren Denyer – #AtLondonBridge Recommends Whether you’re dreaming of alfresco or air conditioning, these London Bridge bars offer a great selection of wines: BOB’s Lobster Wine Bar & Kitchen Londrino Prosecco House The Rose Vivat Bacchus The Ivy Tower Bridge
