Beat the Heat with ROSÉ FROM PROVENCE!

Right now, summer has descended, New York City is baking in the heat, and all I can think about is escaping to the seaside with a glass of rosé in hand. While the beach is merely an hour away on the A train, sometimes it's just easier to conjure refreshment by popping over to the wine shop and grabbing a bottle of rosé from Provence!

While great rosé is made all over the world, Provence is where they've mastered the style so many folks find appealing; lots of minerality, good fruit, and a crisp finish. Typically made from the traditional southern French grapes Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault, these are also generally very affordable wines.

I, for one, encourage rosé consumption year-round, but it certainly is enjoyable to cool off with a glass of rosé in the summer heat. And the fact that these are "red wines in a white wine's body" make them amazing to pair with a range of foods, from lobster to a cookout hot dog.

At a recent tasting sponsored by Vins de Provence, "The Taste of Style," I enjoyed a lovely array of the following rosés (there were some whites and reds from the region as well, and I couldn't help but include one DELISH white below.) Enjoy!

2016 Château Barbanau L'Instant Rosé (Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah) (Winery is Organic and Biodynamic.)

V pale onion skin. Herby, spicy, white pear, tasty, good balance, ticks fruit and complexity boxes. Quaffable. ~$20 WM: 89

2016 Château Barbanau La Girafe Verte Rosé (Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah)

V pale onion skin. Great herbs on nose; tarragon, basil, menthol. Nice fruit, cheeky. ~$18 WM: 92

2016 Mirabeau en Provence Pure Rosé (Grenache, Syrah)

V v pale onion skin. Light fragrant nose, minerally, elegant, clean, good present acidity. ~$25 WM: 90

2016 Mirabeau en Provence Étoile Rosé (Grenache, Syrah)

V v pale silvery onion skin. Fruit forward, peach, melon, good grip, clean and minerally. ~$35 WM: 91

2016 Cep d'Or Rosé (Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah)

V pale pink, light but great tastiness and fruit through the finish, green herbs too. ~$16 WM: 88

2016 Château L'Arnaude Cuvée Nuit Blanche Rosé (Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Carignan)

V pale peach, good floral perfume, red berries, very dry, a little bitter. ~$NA WM: 86

2016 Château de Pampelonne Rosé (Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Tibouren) 

V pale pink, nice florals, stemmy nose, tasty, elegant, good berries on finish, nice. ~$21 WM: 90

2016 Mas de Pampelonne Rosé (Neighbor of ^) (Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren) 

V v pale salmon, great nose, florals and berry fruit, minerally, stemmy. ~$18 WM: 89

2016 Fleur de Mer Rosé (Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan)

V pale pink. Raspberry, strawberry, bitter-ish but well-balanced. Tangy minerality. Nice. ~$18 WM: 89

2015 Château Sainte Marguerite Ikon Rosé (Cinsault, Grenache)

V pale onion skin, florals, ripe melon, cherry, slurp. ~$NA WM: 90

2016 Domaine du Dragon Grande Cuvée Rosé (Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Sra, Rolle)

V pale pink. V floral, nice, savory and spicy in mouth. Yum. ~$NA WM: 91

2016 Château Rêva Symphony Rosé (Grenache, Sra, Cinsault)

V pale pinky salmon, nice acidity, savory, tart red fruit. ~$NA WM: 89

And the DELICOUS white:

2016 Château Sainte Marguerite Symphony (Rolle)

Pale silvery-gold. Lemony nose, whiff of smoke. Tight and lemon-limey with great herb, tarragon. 7-UP-y Clean, tangy, grassy, herby, minerally, so delish. ~$27 WM: 93

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As the mercury continues hovering at the top of the thermometer, believe me, I'll be drinking a lot more rosé. Keep your eyes here for more posts on delicious rosés from all over the world! Post in the comments with your favorite rosés, from Provence or elsewhere. and share the wealth!

Cheers.

TOO DARN HOT? Warm-Weather Wines.

Get me on a boat, it's HOT!

Wineaux, there are a number of amazing posts I've been working on (while living my OTHER existence as a performer,) but I had to address a concern of many fellow oenophiles during this hot, HOT summer.

What to drink when the mercury is off the charts?!

So many people say, "it's too hot to drink wine," and I say, "NO" to that!!


So here's a little primer for the rest of your summer.

60-70 degrees F: try an Albariño from Spain, or a Vermentino from Sardinia. Both of these exhibit rounder fruit flavors like melon and apricot, and are a bit weightier, though still well-balanced and super quaffable. Martin Codax is a reputable Albariño producer (though your local store may have some other wonderful options,) and I always enjoy the Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino. Both usually <$20.


70-80 degrees F: time for refreshing bubbles! A cava from Spain has the same methodology of production as Champagne, but the indigenous grapes result in a lighter, more refreshing sipper. I'm a huge fan of the award-winning Segua Viudas cava. (~$10) Also, go a little red (YEP!) with a sparkling Brachetto from Italy. Some of these are on the sweeter side, so if that's your taste then hooray, but I prefer one made in the drier style. You get a refreshing, light red, on the herby side, but perfect out on the patio as the grill is firing up. The Banfi Rosa Regale has wide distribution, and is slightly sweet but balanced. (~$18)


80-90 degrees F: I think it's time for a Chenin Blanc (Loire Valley or South Africa) or a nice rosé from Provence. Chenin is such an under-appreciated white grape!! It's known for its lanolin and wax notes, but I find many options are brighter, more interesting, and a great alternative to your more typical Chard and Sauv Blancs. MAN Vintners' (S. Africa) is inexpensive and pretty easy to find, or you can splurge a little for a Vouvray from the Loire.

You can hardly avoid tripping over the summertime rosé displays in your local wine store, and I believe in rosé ALL YEAR ROUND, but there's a reason why so many people go gaga for rosé in the summer. One from Provence, France, will have light strawberry notes, florals, and herbs, and you may find you've sucked down the whole bottle without even realizing it.



90-100 degrees F: It's getting uncomfortably warm out there... you need refreshment, NOW. Head straight for a Grüner Veltliner from Austria, or a grassy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or the Loire Valley. These will all be crisp with high acidity, perfect for cutting through the mugginess of a hot day. A Grüner picked early will have lime, celery and white pepper notes—and while you can find a ton of value options, try and find an FX Pichler  G.V. and marvel at its elegance.  (~$25-$100 depending on designation.)

Oyster Bay is a common and affordable NZ ZB, but again, your wine purveyors can steer you to a delectable Sauvignon Blanc to fit your desired style and price range.


100+ degrees F: You can't even turn your head without wanting to pass out, so you need something light and caressing like a cool breeze. A Muscadet from the Loire Valley will be refreshing and minerally (those aged "sur lie," or on their lees, will be weightier,) or try a perfecto Txakoli from northwestern Spain. These have a little shpritz, and their fruit is crisp and lean, often with notes of ginger, with tons of acidity and low alcohol. I like the Ameztoi, which comes in both a white and rosé style. (~$20) And if you're serious about your Txakolis, you can pour it into a flat-bottomed glass from a high reach, as the Basque do!



Wineaux, I hope you stay cool and enjoy wines like these during the rest of the dog days of summer. Let me know if you find other summer sippers you love!

Cheers!