I TEND to like a wee glass of rosé wine with the soup course. In fact if I’m honest, I like a wee glass of rosé wine with every course. I realise that this is not the popular choice with many people as the tendency is still to believe that rosés are substandard wines, being neither one thing nor the other. Neither red nor white.
In fact, rosé wine production has come on in leaps and bounds in the last 10 years because producers have realised that so many people are starting their wine journeys with a pinky drinky. Back in my day, it was Black Tower … but that’s another story for another time. Today, first-time wine drinkers are drawn to the easily accessible, slightly sweet Californian rosés to be glugged at parties and gatherings. From there, they move on to drier more food friendly wines and, before you know it, they’re drinking Pulingy Montrachets with the rest of us. It’s a beautiful thing.
So, wine-makers have immeasurably improved their rosé wine standards to fill the gap in the market between Ernst and Julio and top notch Burgundy.
Despite what you might think, rosé wine is not a blend of red and white (apart from within the Champagne region). Instead, it is the product of red grapes whose skins have been left in contact with the juice for a short while. The juice of red grapes is always clear, and all the colour is in the skins so this technique of partial skin contact delivers the perfect pink glass. The "secret" is using a red grape that would normally make a big, full-flavoured red wine. A Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Primitivo, for example, will give body, gravitas and downright coolness to a rosé. Not to mention expanding the food-matching possibilities.
Tramari Rosé di Primitivo San Marzano 2015 (Inverarity One to One, £10.99). This is a lovely, fresh and aromatic rosé with a great depth of flavour and a lovely, long finish. San Marzano are based in Salento, Puglia and their award-winning wines are tasty and great value for money. The Talo Primitivo (Inverarity One to One, £13.99) is the big brother to and the full red version of the Tramari and is equally delicious. Not better, just different. And red. Cantine San Marzano, like many producers in this enlightened age, spend just as much time perfecting their pinks as their reds and their whites.
Go on, have a pinky drinky this weekend.
Pete Stewart is Glasgow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a Bath Street, Glasgow (0141 221 5121) www.inverarity121.com
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