Mother's Day Rosé
TJ Shirk • May 3, 2021
Spring is in full swing and Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Next weekend to be exact. Have you gotten your mother and other important mother’s in your life gifts yet? Even if you did, there is always room for improvement. Besides, she’s had to put up with you for all these years and recently a global pandemic. She deserves a little more. She deserves a bottle - or several - of pink sunshine. Rosé.
The rosés of today are nothing like the gauche white Zinfandel and “blush” wines of the 80s and 90s. They are not the cheap, overly sweet, syrupy swill they once were. Today’s rosés are elegant, dry, fruity, floral and very food friendly. A favourite with summer charcuterie. Serve chilled on a patio to beat the summer heat.
Rosé is most commonly made using the maceration method. The skins of red wine grapes are left to rest, or macerate, in the juice providing the desired pink colour. The maceration will usually occur between two and 20 hours. The winemaker has full control of the final colour of the wine, removing the skins when the desired hue is achieved. Other methods are Saignée (bled) method and blending. Saignée (pronounced san-yay) is employed during red wine making where free-run pink juice is bled out of red wine grapes after a quick maceration. That pink juice is made into rosé. The remaining juice further concentrates and makes a red wine of higher intensity. Blending is simply tinting a white wine by adding red wine to it. Blending is most common in making pink Champagne.
Rosé is one the largest trends in modern wine. Every major red wine region in the world is making a rosé from all of your favourite red varietals. Canada is no exception. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Gamay are some of the common varietals found in Ontario VQA rosé wines in the Niagara Peninsula. Some of my favourites include Pondview Estate Winery’s Cabernet Franc Rosé, Henry of Pelham Rosé, Peninsula Ridge Beal Vineyard Cabernet Rosé and Trius Rosé. I find the Trius Rosé to be one of the most elegantly packaged rosés in the region. Whichever region you are fond of, there is a rosé I’m sure your mom will love. If you know some of her favourite red varietals, narrowing down a particular wine should be an easier process.
Currently in Ontario, due to pandemic lockdown, most wineries are offering online ordering and/or curbside pick up. Many, if not all, have Mother’s day gift packs with a premium bottle of rosé alongside various gift or food items. The Wine Shop also has some Mother’s day gift offers on their selection of Ontario and British Columbia wines. Check with your local winery and see what they have available. Always support local, where possible.
Whichever gift you decide to give your mom this Mother’s Day, an extra bottle or two of rosé at the brunch table will surely help make a memorable occasion.