A rosé wine, like red or white wine, is not chosen blindly. Several criteria must be taken into account to select the bottle that will best accompany your meal, or your aperitif. Here are a few tips for choosing a rosé Côtes de Provence.
THE CÔTES DE PROVENCE ROSÉ, WHAT IS IT?
First of all, it is important to know what a Côtes de Provence rosé is, where it is produced, and its particularities.
The Côtes de Provence rosé is a wine from the wineeyards of Provence-Corsica. It is therefore produced in the south-east of France, in a region with a Provençal Mediterranean climate. The particularity of the soil allows to obtain several grape varieties, which will enter in the composition of the Côtes de Provence rosé wine. The main ones are Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Syrah.
Côtes de Provence rosé is a dry wine, which has the French label AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée), but also the European label AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée).
On the tasting side, Côtes de Provence rosé can enjoy a fruity, floral, vegetal or even balsamic nose, depending on the grape varieties and blends. Always fresh and balanced, Côtes de Provence rosé wines can be as intense as they are discreet.
WHERE DOES THE SUCCESS OF CÔTES DE PROVENCE ROSÉ COME FROM?
For several years now, rosé has been a real success, in France, but also internationally. And there are many reasons for this.
First of all, contrary to popular belief, rosé wine wineified with care and attention offers exceptional taste quality. Furthermore, the possibilities of blending with different grape varieties are such that the range of rosé wines is wide. This diversity opens the doors to many consumers by responding to different needs or desires.
And then, who wouldn't be tempted by the immediate pleasure of a good glass of fresh rosé wine on a hot summer day? A symbol of relaxation and French savoir-vivre, it accompanies all Mediterranean dishes, as well as the most refined dishes.
HOW TO CHOOSE A CÔTES DE PROVENCE ROSÉ ?
Now that you know what a Côtes de Provence rosé really is, let's look at the selection criteria to take into account.
How rosé wine is made
The making of a rosé wine requires know-how and a strict respect of several stages. Winegrowers generally produce rosé using 3 different methods.
- Maceration: this technique consists in letting the crushed grapes macerate in their juice. The juice then obtained by pressing forms the rosé wine.
- The bleeding: the bleeding wine is obtained from the grapes that macerate to make red wine, in which part of the juice is taken a few hours after the start of maceration. The liquid obtained has not been in prolonged contact with the skin, and therefore has a pinkish colour.
- Direct pressing: this technique consists in going directly to the pressing, without maceration. This one is then very slow, for the skins have time to leave a pinkish colour to the juice, which will be immediately put in fermentation.
The colour of rosé wine
Although the colour of the rosé will not guarantee the quality of the wine, it can nevertheless give you some clues about its character. This is one of the reasons why the bottle of rosé is transparent.
When faced with a light-coloured rosé, you can often expect light aromas of cherries, redcurrants or stdryberries. A dark colour will announce aromas of blackberries or red fruits. The darker a rosé is, the more it has macerated. And the more it has macerated, the more aromas it has.
Be careful however, the colour also depends on the grape varieties, but also on the age of the wine.
The grape variety of rosé wine
If there are no defined rules, however, one can expect that a rosé wine with red fruit aromas will come from a grape variety such as Cabernet. Conversely, a rosé wine with citrus notes will probably come from a Grenache or Cinsault.
The opportunity to drink rosé wine
Finally, not all Côtes de Provence rosé wines are drunk in the same way. To refresh yourself on a hot summer day, opt for a wine with little tannin. Be careful not to drink it too cool, or risk losing the subtlety of its aromas. A rosé wine served at 12°C will be perfect.
To be served as an aperitif, the rosé wine will be fruity and not very tannic, while for the meal, you will choose a more powerful rosé to accompany your meats and dishes to perfection. Finally, for dessert, turn to a slightly sweet Côtes de Provence rosé wine, which will go perfectly with a fruity dessert.
The choice of a rosé wine must be done seriously to get the best out of it. The Château de Berne accompanies you in your selection of Côtes de Provence rosé.
