Photo Credit: Valeriya Kobzar
You know spring is here when the days get longer, nights get hotter, and that all to familiar desire to drink rosé outside returns. You may remember last year, in preparation for National Rosé Day and with the onset of COVID, I conduct an at-home Rosé wine tasting with my family in the hopes of finding the best rosé wines of the season. Little did I know then that my family would enjoy participating in my rosé market research study so much, they would ask me to turn it into an annual event! So here we are, one year later with a new top 5 list of our favorite rosé wines that we recommend you try this spring and summer!
Things were done a little differently this year! Firstly, instead of tasting only 6 wines, we did 8 and we split the tasting over 2 evenings (4 wines per evening). I also decided to try a different selection of rosé wines this year which I randomly selected from the LCBO’s ‘Summer Rosé’ and ‘Vintages’ section. The respondents for this year’s annual rosé tasting also included more members of Adam’s family vs mine, however we maintained the same minimum of 6 respondents per day/tasting. Further, this year I covered the labels of the bottles and numbered them so as to not give away their origin, price, etc., and switched up the tasting order for each person as a way of removing further bias. Everyone was given 1-2 oz of each wine and asked to give a score from 1-10 along with tasting notes for each wine.
As for the tasting itself, it was done at the cottage this year, outside, before dinner under the glow of the afternoon sun. Our cottage neighbors joined in (socially distanced of course) on the 2nd night adding to the fun and excitement of the overall event. Everyone was in good spirits and excited to be socializing outdoors after a long winter and the dinner that followed on the first night was a delicious filet of salmon cooked in an Asian-inspired soy glaze - a perfect pairing and excuse to polish off any remaining bottles if you ask me!
Below are the results of this year's ‘Is That Soh 2nd Annual Rosé Tasting’! Cheers!
CHECK OUT THESE COCKTAIL & DRINK RECIPES
THE BEST ROSÉ WINES IN RANKING ORDER
1st Place - Whitecliff Winemaker’s Selection Rosé
From Hawk’s Bay, New Zealand
$14.95 CAD at the LCBO
Whitecliff’s Winemakers Selection Rosé rose to the top as this year’s ‘favorite rosé’ with all but two giving it a super high score! It is a medium-bodied, dry rosé wine often described as fruity with berry undertones, smooth, refreshing, and easy to drink. This wine was by far my personal favorite as well and it came as no surprise to learn that it was from one of the best wine regions in the world, New Zealand!
Located in Hawk’s Bay, New Zealand, Whitecliff Wines was named after the majestic white river cliffs that bordered the original site of the family estate vineyards. Designed for everyday enjoyment, Whitecliff has created fruit-forward wines of purity and exceptional value for over 20 years, making them a favorite with wine lovers everywhere.
Perfect for an outdoor picnic, the Whitecliff Winemaker’s Selection Rosé features a pale salmon colour, vibrant aromas of strawberries, fresh cream, candy floss, and orange rind. In my opinion, it would pair well with seafood, a cheese charcuterie platter, or a summer salad. At the very reasonable price of $14.95, you can’t go wrong but to give this crowd pleaser a try!
2nd Place - L'Orangeraie Rose Pays
From the Pays d'Oc wine region in the South Of France
$11.90 CAD at the LCBO
Maison Lorgeril’s L’Orangeraie Rosé also performed really well with over half of the group giving it a high score! Many people described this rosé wine as dry, smooth, and refreshing with hints of citrus.
I was first introduced to L’Orangeraie last year by a friend and it quickly became one of my go-to’s. Not only is it delicious but at $12.00 a bottle, it is also super budget-friendly! I often would pick up a few bottles at a time and just keep them on hand to enjoy during afternoons at the cottage or during seafood dinners.
Salmon pink in colour L’Orangeraie is a blend of Shiraz/Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault varietals, and features soft floral, raspberry, strawberry, and citrus aromas with a mineral note. It is a medium body French wine with dry; berry and citrus flavours. I also found it to have moderate acidity and a clean finish.
Maison Lorgeril was founded in 1620 in the South of France and is still to this day a family enterprise. Owner, Nicolas de Lorgeril is a tenth generation winemaker, who along with his wife Miren de Saint Chamas, utilizes the best terroirs in the Languedoc and Roussillon areas to grow varietals that yield French wines with gentle and smooth aromas.
3rd Place - La Fage Miraflors Rose
From Roussillon, France
$17.95 CAD at the LCBO
Another favorite from this year’s Rosé tasting was Domaine Lafage’s La Fage Miraflors Rose! Described as medium-bodied, dry, refreshing, and slightly acidic this rosé was well received by the majority but only received a top score from two respondents.
La Fage Miraflores is made from a blend of Mourvedre, Grenache Gris, and Grenache grapes, many of which are from old vines - some over 80 years old! Pale pink in colour this French wine features notes of strawberry and white peach that lend to its overall clean, crisp, and refreshing flavour.
For over two centuries the Lafage family have been winegrowers in the heart of Roussillon, the southernmost point of France. Today, the Domaine vineyards extend over 350 hectares across the whole of Roussillon, to the Pyrenean foothills of Aspres.
4th Place - Wayne Gretzky Rosé VQA
From Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario Canada
$16.95 CAD at the LCBO
Coming in 4th place this year was the locally produce Wayne Gretzky Rosé from Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario. Described as medium-bodied, semi dry, and fruity, this wine is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir, 17% Pinot Grigio, and 3% Gamay Noir, harvested from long-standing growers within the Niagara Peninsula.
Wayne Gretzky Estate Winery and Distillery expanded into a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Niagara-On -the-Lake wine country in 2017 and today produces delicious, approachable wines, a line of spirits that include whiskies, muscat, and cream liqueur, as well as craft beer!
This delicate rosé has a strong salmon colour with aromas of peach, citrus, and strawberry that move to flavours of red berries, plum, and cherry the more you drink. It also has a slightly off-dry finish.
5th Place - Château de Berne Romance Rosé
From Provence, France
$17.00 CAD at the LCBO
To finish off our top 5 list we have the Chateau De Berne Romance Rosé which, although polarizing did well with most. Described as light, dry, and slightly acidic with hints of grapefruit this French rose wine is medium bodied and made mostly from locally sourced Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Merlot grapes.
Chateau de Berne crafts their Romance Rosé in the heart of Provence, the perfect climate for bearing wines with aromas and flavours of orchard fruit, red berries, and ripe peaches. Sheltered by acres of pine forests and lavender fields, Chateau de Berne grapes bask in over 3000 hours of sunshine a year and enjoy cooler Provence at nights - features of an ecosystem known for producing grapes that ripe slowly to produce perfect Provencal rosés bursting with flavour.
The Romance Rosé features silky texture and a dry finish. This dry rose wine would pair perfectly with spicy and/or acidic dishes like ceviche!
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @ISTHATSOH
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post about the 2nd Annual ‘Is That Soh Rosé Tasting’ as much as my family and I did creating it. If you have any comments about rosé wine, french wine, or how to perform a wine tasting at home, please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Cheers!
