La Vie en Rosé

Summer is finally here, and this is the time where we move our dining experience outdoors to take advantage of the precious heat and daylight.  It’s also a time when our food choices change to reflect the warmer weather as well – we opt for lighter fare like grilled chicken or fish, and we take advantage of the bountiful local vegetables that comes available at our farmer’s markets that work perfectly on the grill.  Our wine choices also tend to get lighter – we move away from the big, heavy winter reds and turn to wines that are cool and refreshing.  What’s my wine-of-choice for summer?  Rosé!  A dry rosé is versatile, refreshing, and complex enough to satisfy even the most die-hard red wine fans.  Pillitteri’s 2008 Merlot Bianco is perfect example of this sort of rosé.  Our Merlot Bianco is produced in the classic European style made famous in places such as Provence and Spain – that is by having only about 20 hours of skin contact to give that light pink colour, and fermented dry with no residual sugar.  The finished wine is medium-bodied, with lots of acidity and bold fruit characters such as strawberry, blackberry and rhubarb, balanced by complex top-notes like nutmeg and lavender.  I always keep a bottle chilled down in my fridge ready to drink with everything from grilled veggies, to Italian sausages, to salad niçoise, or simply on its own.  

So with this in mind, I encourage you to “think pink” this summer and pick up a bottle of Merlot Bianco – you won’t be disappointed!  As you know, everything looks better through rosé coloured glasses!

Cheers,

Allison Slute
Estate Sommelier