Torrent of Rose leaves lots to try

There has been a torrent of rose hitting the market this summer.

It seems like every winery is trying to cash in on the trend. While we have been bombarded with samples and offers over the past six months to the point of exhaustion, it would be easy for us to overlook the fact that many people either haven’t jumped on board the rose bandwagon yet or aren’t sure exactly where to start.

The range of styles on offer is amazing and in some senses daunting if you haven’t found your style yet. From light delicate and dry, through to rich full-bodied wines of immense weight and structure to rival many light to medium-bodied reds. So, for those of you who haven’t found a good place to start, here are three different styles to set you on your journey.

Domaine Gueissard Le Petit G – $19
This is a favourite for several reasons. It is produced by a young gun in the region of Provence, having spent several years honing their craft at the iconic producer Domaine Tempier Clement Minne and Pauline Giraud have struck out on their own. The result is wines that are much more affordable and accessible than Tempier but still show the class of producers with much longer histories. The wine hits the perfect pitch for what is driving the rose trend; light, delicate, dry and highly drinkable. A nice stepping stone across from white wine lovers who like a crisp, light structure in their wines paired with the bright red berry fruits and subtle spice flavours. We haven’t anything better under $20 in this style.

Delinquente Pretty Boy Rosato – $21
Delinquente are fortunate to have struck a couple of big trends over the past five years – the natural wine scene and in the case of this wine, rose. They source their fruit from across the Riverland, which as we wrote about last week, is a great source for Mediterranean varieties better suited to the warm climate. Made from Nero d’Avola – a grape that is native to Sicily and often draws similarities to Shiraz – this is a s tyle for those who like just a hint of sweetness and plenty of fruit flavours in their wine. It strikes you as fruit sweet, luscious and juicy up front before a more subtle crisp dry edge underpins it and helps to prvent it from becoming too sweet and flabby.

Clyde Park Rose – $22
One of our favourite local roses each year. The Clyde Park Rose is for those who want a bit more complexity in their rose, or those coming from the red wine drinkers side of the ledger to something a bit lighter and refreshing on hot summer days without losing the flavour and texture they love. A portion of this spends time on o ak, a small percentage whole bunches are employed and is more reflective of the weight and richness we expect from the Moorabool Valley. Red berry fruit sweetness is well balanced by subtle spice from the stems which also help to provide a savoury quality to the wine. It is by no means heavy, but there is breadth and fullness to the flavours.