How to choose a good rosé

PINK wine endures an unfair reputation for being unconditionally sweet, a dainty dessert-style wine, almost unsuitable for matching with food.

But connoisseurs know this summery favourite is doubtlessly the most versatile wine in the cellar. Colour, in fact, has no bearing on sweetness. And as the character of pink wine varies from dry and white-like to fruity red-like in its properties, rosé has the adaptability to marry impeccably with a wide range of foods.

As they pair instinctively with seafoods, grilled meats and fresh salads, rosés are very much at home with classic Aussie fare. But despite the meal matching possibilities, the long hot days of summer always seem to rekindle interest in rosés as a lazy afternoon sipper. The only inflexibility of this ultimately flexible wine is that it must be served well chilled – between eight and 10 degrees is just perfect.

Even a cursory glance at the rosé shelf in your local bottle shop will reveal a broad spectrum of pink. From the pale and lightly blushed drys to the robust, almost purplish heavies, a good rosé will be refreshing in all colours. Coolness, crispness and refreshment can’t be ascertained visually so don’t be swayed to think quality is in the colour – it’s not.

In general, you will find the lighter tinted varieties to have a lower content of tannins, the bitter element associated with grape skins and oak ageing in bolder wines. The more clear rosés usually have some sweetness, but are more roundly defined as being strong and dry with a noticeable acidity. The darker or more salmon-coloured varieties will be unsurprisingly closer to their red cousins, a more velvety mouthful with more presence and fruitiness.

Darker rosés may offer the complex flavours found in reds without the risk of sensing astringent hardness. But remember, rosés should be delicate in the mouth, and are best consumed rather young. Avoid rosés over three-years-old as their colour and fragile fruitiness suffers with too much age. For this reason, heavily discounted bottles are usually a sign of a rosé already past its early prime.

The grapes best for rosé don’t like heat, so although Australia produces a decent pink or two, mastery of this kind of wine is firmly held by the more temperate regions of France.  Rosés from Languedoc-Roussillon go well with spicy food, and those from the Loire Valley (especially Touraine and Cabernet d'Anjou) are best paired with salads, fish and shellfish.

Varieties from Côteau d'Aix work well with soups and poultry while Rhône Valley and Bourgogne rosés are better suited to heavier meals. Go for a Bordeaux when drinking a pink by itself or as an aperitif. And if you really want to taste where your money is going, rosés from Bandol and Cassis enjoy some of the best reputations for overall quality.

Summers in Australia are long, so we’re fortunate to have plenty of time to mix, match and experiment with different kinds of rosés in their ideal tasting season. Just remember that while you can’t always judge a good pink by its label, you don’t have to buy the same one twice. Enjoy!