Provence Rosé – spring & summer wine

Woman on Wine with Amy Reiley

The words Provence and Rosé can’t help but intertwine in the minds of every wine lover. The region has a history with wine that dates back to the ancient Greeks. Although the wine they made wasn’t quite Rosé, it was similarly light in color and body to what we know today as Rosé. That’s a long history with producing pink wine. It’s no surprise that the region’s climate, soil types and native grapes are all incredibly well-suited to producing summery but sophisticated Rosés. Although some modern makers of Provence Rosé have chosen to experiment with vinification and style, traditional Provencal Rosés are pale pink to salmon in color with brightness and acidity on the palate.

These wines are well-suited to pre-dinner drinking and are incredibly food-friendly wines. Yet within that definition, there’s a surprising amount of room for style. Here are 5 variations on the style sure to sweep you away to the lavender-covered French countryside, if only until your bottle is drained.

My Provence Rosé recommendations

2014 Barton & Buestier Passeport Rosé
Pleasingly light in both color and body, the wine offers delicate, floral aromas. Surprising on the palate, it offers a faint savory note of herbs and green olive along with the zing of lemon acidity.

2014 Chateau de Brigue Prestige Rosé
Its aromas are direct and enticing, of red currants and strawberries. A voluptuous wine in the mouth, it dances across the tongue with currant and cherry flavors that linger long after the last drop goes down.

2014 Chateau Beaulieu Rosé
A pretty, deep pink wine, it brings a freshness and delicacy of white flowers from the aroma to the flavor. On the palate there’s a lovely guava flavor that evolves to reveal an herbal note and minerality lingering on the finish.

2014 Chateau Les Valentines Organic Rosé
A big wine with thirst-quenching acidity, it offers both the bite of grapefruit, red currant and cranberry and the complexity of spice.

2014 Chateau de Gabriel Organic Rosé
The wine starts of with a delicate, floral and stone fruit aroma and the flavor of peach at the front of the palate. But as it evolves it teases the mouth with an evolution of flavor including heavy minerality, anise and a refreshing note of citrus peel at the end.

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