Wine World
Summer time wine pleasures
Well it has been a long time coming, and we are all delighted to be getting back out into our gardens and enjoying some fine weather. There is nothing nicer than an al-fresco lunch, picnic or indeed dinner, in the fresh air on a warm sunny day or evening. And so to celebrate the season, and the lifting of restrictions, this is the perfect time to enjoy some delicious food and a glass or two of something special. For me summertime wine has always been about Rose. I am talking about a fragrant delicate floral aroma with crisp citrus flavours. Some of the best comes from the South of France and some of the too sweet hails from California. And in between, there is a lot that is wonderful, and admittedly a lot that is not! But if your summertime wine is to go with light seafood, salads, fish and cheeses, a chilled semi-dry rose could be the perfect choice. 54 Senior Times l May - June 2021 l www.seniortimes.ie
Rose wine is no longer considered just ‘for the girls’, but rather a serious wine choice when it comes to food pairing. It can be the perfect choice with some Asian foods, for example. Renowned winemaker Francois Lurton makes a wonderful rose from Sauvignon in Southern France that is enjoyed throughout the world. Indeed, Villa Maria in New Zealand have produced a wonderful pink wine called Blush Sauvignon using 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Merlot. With aromas of passion fruit and fresh herbs, passion fruit and cranberry, its makers describe it as a wine to enjoy when you are loving life and those around you! Blush Sauvignon is a pleasantly unique wine in my experience, a pink wine that tastes like Sauvignon Blanc! Kylie Minogue’s wines have been very well received and since they landed here in Ireland they have won quite a number of fans. Her
Mairead Robinson suggests celebrating summer with some sunshine wines
newly launched Sparkling Rose Prosecco is a great addition to her collection. Light and elegant, yet lively with notes of summer fruits – raspberries and strawberries – this beautifully presented wine is a top summer choice. The bottle itself is just gorgeous, covered in tiny glass hearts! It is an extra dry wine, exactly to my taste when it comes to ‘pink wine’. She has also added an organic Cava to her collection which in my opinion tastes just as a good Cava should – dry and crisp, aromas of fresh blossom and apple with fresh biscuit flavours. It is aged in cellars for 15 months, giving it the Reserva status. Besides being organic, this is a vegan friendly wine also. It is an excellent Cava. Now when thinking about bubbles, not many people are as familiar with Cremant as they might be with Champagne, Prosecco or Cava. And yet Cremant is a group of sparkling wines made with the same technique as Champagne, but from outside the Champagne
