A rosé for every occasion

It's not just a girly drink – rosé wines offer complexity and substance, and it's often worth spending a bit more on them, writes JOHN WILSON

ROSÉ WINES ARE never taken seriously by most wine drinkers, and in a way they are right. Rosés are all about enjoyment, pure and simple. They need the right time, the right place and the right people. And the weather, too. Rosé means sun, and as we don’t get too much of that in this country, sales traditionally have been tiny. However, there is nothing nicer than a bottle of chilled rosé when the weather is right. With a gang of old friends, I recently enjoyed generous amounts of the Château Haut-Rian rosé listed below with an excellent dinner in Over The Moon restaurant in Skibbereen, Co Cork. Life does not get much better.

In recent years, sales of rosé in this country have increased, thanks largely to a group of young, female drinkers who drink it all year round, usually on its own. If you want to sip wine with friends, rosé, particularly slightly sweet rosé, fits the bill perfectly. White wine can be a little too acidic and dry; red wine too big and tannic. In an effort to boost sales, virtually every wine-producing country has come up with their own rosé wines, with varying degrees of success.

Rosé can be divided into three camps. Best for me is the light, dry and elegant style, which comes mainly from the Loire and Provence, but more recently from other parts of France and Spain, too. Then there is the aforementioned light and sweet, which usually comes from California, and lastly the bigger, more gutsy version, which is best drunk with something substantial. The Rhône Valley and Spain are the best source for this style.

Ciarán Mannion recently launched Rosé Wines Ireland, a company specialising in rosé from Provence (rosewine.ie). Mannion studied in France for a number of years, and fell in love with Provencal rosé. “It was fabulous stuff. I worked in various places around the world but could never find the same, very fine, delectable rosés.” His new company imports a range from four different producers. He found it a struggle at first, but he is now getting listings in hotels, restaurants and wine shops around the country.

Most rosé is made by crushing red grapes, and then quickly separating the pulp from the lightly coloured juice. In recent months, the European Commission considered a proposal to permit blending red and white wine, as happens frequently in the new world and Champagne. However, the French mounted a successful campaign against the proposal.

I used to have a rosé rule; don’t pay more than €12. Simple pleasures shouldn’t cost too much. But having tasted a number of fairly serious French rosés from the Loire and Provence, I have relaxed a little on this. The two Provençal wines featured below showed a delicacy, class and style lacking in many of their rivals and are worth the premium.

Château Haut-Rian 2009, Bordeaux rosé, 12.5%, €10.31I featured this wine in April, but feel it deserves a second mention; it is that good. Quite deep in colour, with a vibrant nose of ripe strawberries; the palate oozes with freshly crushed raspberries and strawberries. This packs a lot of flavour into a lightish wine. Probably better with richer dishes, but delectable on its own. Stockist: Wines Direct, Mullingar, winesdirect.ie, 1850-579579

Marks Spencer Gascogne Rosé 2009, 12.5%, €7.29Light, easy rosé with very attractive sweet, strawberry fruits; a perfect summer quaffer. Stockist: Marks Spencer

Crémant de Loire Rosé Premier Cru NV, 12%, €9in the forthcoming Superquinn French Wine Sale, starting September 8th A very classy sparkling rosé with vibrant fresh raspberry fruits, finishing on the dry side. A great aperitif or to drink with light fish dishes. Don't pay the full €17.99 – it is great value at the cheaper price, expensive at full whack. Stockist: Superquinn

Guerrieri Rizzardi Rosa Rosae 2009, Rosato Veronese, 12.5%, €12.45This is a very appealing, fruit-filled rosé with plenty of crushed dark cherry fruits, a succulent mid-palate and good length. Perfect on its own or with antipasti. Stockist: O'Briens

Minuty 2009, Côtes de Provence, 13%, €17.95A classic Provence rosé, with nicely defined delicate summer fruits, a strong mineral note, and a bone dry finish. This would sit very comfortably with all manner of summery salads. It comes in the traditional Provencal skittle bottle. Stockists: Rosé Wines Ireland, rosewine.ie; Wicklow Wine Co, Wicklow; The Cellarmaster, Stillorgan Business Park; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street; Kelly's, Newport

Bailly 2009, Côtes de Provence, 13%, €18.95Bigger and richer than the Minuty above, this has charming, juicy, raspberry fruits, and excellent concentration and length. An aristocrat among rosés, it should be served with salmon at posh dinner parties. Stockists: Rosé Wines Ireland, rosewine.ie; Kelly's Newport

BEER OF THE WEEK

Trashy Blonde Pale Ale, 4.1%, €2.29 for a 330ml bottleThe Scottish brewing company Brew Dog has a range of very tasty beers, all with maverick names, including what is allegedly the strongest beer in the world at 55% ABV. The label on Trashy Blonde says: "Go on, you know you want to." The beer is remarkably good, proof that low alcohol doesn't have to mean flavourless. Light, intensely hoppy, bright beer with lovely citrus, too.