by Malcolm Jolley
From April to November so much of Good Food Revolution’s coverage is dedicated to what’s ‘In Season Now‘. But, isn’t wine also food? Of course. So, with temperatures crawling up to 30º Celsius, accompanied by the legendary Southern Ontario humidity (the Humidex being a Canadian invention), what could be more in season than rosé?
Winemakers look away, as I suggest the two principal winning conditions for rosé are summed up in the phrase cheap and cheerful. Which is to say, barring a few exceptions that may prove the rule from Tavel or Bandol, it’s silly to pay more than $20 for pink. At $14.95 the 2010 Tawse Sketches Rosé satisfies the first principal while embodying the second. It’s a light, fresh quaffer made from organic, Niagara Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon picked last fall. Presumably the grapes were deemed not quite up to the premium Demeter Certified Biodynamic winery’s flagship labels and Winemaker Paul Pender has had some fun, so we masses on our patios can too.
2010 Tawse Sketches Rosé, Niagara, Ontario $14.95 LCBO# 172643
Strawberry-rhubarb notes dominate this clean, clear refresher, with a tangy, salty after-glow. The low alcohol by volume (12%) is just as well, since it’s hard to sip this pink slowly. Serve well chilled with prosciutto wrapped around bread sticks, or to accompany a simple summer vegetable pasta. Caution: sunny afternoons could easily be lost to this wine.
Click here to find an LCBO stocking this wine near you.
Malcolm Jolley is the Executive Editor of Good Food Revolution and the Executive Director of Good Food Media, which publishes it. Follow him at twitter.com/malcolmjolley.
