In the pink
Pink bubbly is the perfect pick-you-up. And even if you are on top of the world already, it can only make your spirits soar higher.
A few years ago, rosé wines were deemed to be frivolous by consumers as well as wine makers. Now producers around the world are taking their pink wines seriously and as a result, consumers can enjoy the tasty results.
There are two basic methods of making pink fizz. The most common is that red wine is added to white wine – generally from the same area – until the required colour is achieved. Rosés vary massively in colour and there is no such thing as the perfect pink. It’s really down to the personal preference of the wine maker. The shade can vary from a very pale hint of salmony pink, which characterises top-of-the-range Krug Rosé Champagne, to a much darker, full-throttle, almost red rosé.
The other, more complex, way of making rosé is that the skins of the black grapes (traditionally, champagne is made from two-third black grapes, one-third white) are left with the juice after pressing, which in effect ‘dyes’ the juice. While this was the ancient method of making rosé fizz, it is not widely practised anymore, as it is difficult to control the exact colour and maintain consistency, year in year out.
The great thing about rosé fizz is that the extra use of black grapes often means the wines are more full-bodied in flavour and, as a result, many of my favourites taste excellent with food. They tend to go especially well with lamb, chicken, turkey and guinea fowl as well as lots of fish dishes, such as turbot, salmon, prawns, lobster and crab. I’ve often enjoyed pink fizz, especially the Australian variety, with Chinese food.
Top of the (Pink) Pops
- Somerfield Cava Rosado. Rich, quite deeply coloured Spanish dry rosé with overtones of strawberries. Great on its own, (and a cheap aphrodisiac at that price!) or try it with lamb.
- Angus Brut Rosé. Widely available top Aussie sparkler, pinky orange in hue, with creamy violet-like flavour. Great apéritif and perfect with char-grilled chicken.
- Seaview Brut Rosé. Consistently good, easy drinking pink Aussie bubbly with raspberry ripple flavours. Great as an apéritif or with fruit based puddings. Widely available.
- Tesco Rosé Champagne. A new addition to the Tesco list, in blind tastings of supermarket own label rosés, this was one of the best. Orangey pink, crisp and dry. Great aperitif – drink a glass in the bath.
- Champagne Duval-Leroy Rosé de Saignée. This is one of the few rosé champagnes still made the old-fashioned way (see above). Made from 100 per cent Pinot Noir, it’s an enticing pale salmon pink in colour, with an intense aroma and flavour of red fruits. Try it on its own (in bed, but not on your own) or with smoked salmon. See www.duval-leroy.com for more details.
- Laurent Perrier Rosé Champagne NV. One of my all time favourite fizzes and widely available. Deep rosé in colour, this never fails to hit the spot with its intense wild aroma and flavour of tiny wild strawberries, ‘fraises des bois’. Great on its own, or with seafood or Chinese.
- Krug Rosé. Available from specialist wine merchants and off-licences. Expensive, yes, but sublime. Very pale pink with tiny, tiny bubbles, this has an aroma of roses and a flavour of raspberries and violets on the palate. Exquisite.
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