Sommeliers Choice: La vie en rosé

– by Natasja Noorlander, Maître at Restaurant Vinkeles

The sun is out, so it is my job to make sure that we have enough rosé wine in store.

This nice refreshing wine is great to drink in the sun on the terrace. However, rosé is not only for us to enjoy outside, it can also be delightful with dinner indoors.

Rosé is made by red grapes, but can be combined with white grapes. The skin of the blue grapes gives the colour to the wine, this is because the juice of the grapes is always transparent. With a short skin contact the wine turns pink, with longer contact the wine turns red. So, how longer the contact, how darker the wine. The origin of the grape plays a large role within the taste and colour of the wine. Together you get a wide variety of colours and flavours: from a light and elegant rosé to tasty, powerful wines.

It is not allowed to create a rosé by combining white and red wine. This probably gives the colour of the rosé, but never the fruity and fresh characteristic of a rosé wine. Within the European Union, red- and white wine may only be combined in the Champagne region to make a rosé Champagne.

From the worldwide total wine production, is less than 10 percent rosé. Nowadays, rosé wine is produced everywhere, but France is the largest producer. In France, the most well-known region for rosé wine is the Provence.

At The Dylan Amsterdam, we serve a rosé per glass from the Coteaux d’Aix-and-Provence. That is a appellation in the Provence. The wine of Château Barbebelle is very light of colour because the skin only had short contact with the juice. This makes the wine fresh, but still gives the beautiful typical red fruit aromas that you are looking for in a rosé.

This chateau is a family business. The father takes care of the vineyards and his daughter is responsible for business and sales. She also came up with the label with the hipster man with his flower beard. Do not let yourself be judged by the label or the colour of the wine. The wine has enough intensity to be enjoyed on the terrace, but is also delicious with fish or a salad.