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Recently added....
Coming soon...’Age & Rosé What About Ice? Rosé Weddings! The Effect of Temperature |
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Bill Burke, Director, Rose-wine.com |
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This is a sporadically updated wine page from myself with occasional contributions from some of my friends and associates throughout the UK, France, and further afield. Some of the super events attended by Rose-wine.com will be featured as well along with news of some of the interesting places visited in our search for good Rosé's! Recently added portions are highlighted NEW at the beginning, but are added throughout the wine pages section to make for a more logical order!
I’m the person who travels the length and breadth of France for months at a time, usually in summer, simply to source and negotiate the Rosé wines we offer! It’s a tough job, but as they say, someone has to do it! Seriously though, I believe wine is fun and should be shared and enjoyed. I’ve been drinking Rosé's (mainly from southern coastal areas) for over 30 years and am pleased to have a chance to share some of the experience.
I'm often asked "Why a company specialising in only Rosé Wines?" Quite simply, I think, the time is right and the wine is right!
The Time is Right
A lot changes as time goes by. Our drinking habits are changing reflecting more of a European ambiance. It is increasingly fashionable to host receptions that feature light refreshing drinks, ideal for example, with canapés or finger buffets. There is still a lot of entertaining done at home, but nowadays it is often less formal than it was in the past. The emphasis is on enjoyment for oneself and one’s guests. Perhaps too; it is climate change, there seem to be more opportunities these days to drink al fresco.
The Wine is Right
Rosé, all along the Mediterranean coast has always been enjoyable to drink in lovely settings, whether on holiday, business, or just visiting friends. Who can resist the image? A bottle, of beautiful pale Rosé, delicately frosted, elegant in an ice-bucket under azure skies? A quiet pop of the cork, the flair of the pourer, perhaps the clink of ice, the coolness to the touch, and best of all the light fruity taste of a good Rosé. Memories are made of this. Until recently though, the wines tended not to travel very well and were not always of sufficient quality to stand up to the more critical appraisal of friends and family at home under a ‘sometimes’ grey sky. The challenge presented to the French wine market by the success of the new world growers has had a marked effect on French wine production. They have recognised the need to review the methodology of a traditional industry and to reap the benefits of modern techniques. Whilst still retaining the historical experience and tradition of French winemaking many have now combined the best modern production methods and equipment to make a truly world class product.
Why Coastal?
I commonly use the term “Coastal Rosé” to describe several of our wines. This is a term of my own which I find helpful in differentiating wines grown in coastal areas from others. Many of our wines are coastal simply because these soils seem to produce exactly the type of Rosés that I think will best suit a discerning market. The French use the term “Terroir”, referring to the concept of the soil and immediate surroundings having notable effect on the finished product. There is much debate currently about this, but Rose-wine.com is firmly in the “Terroir” camp. I do think it makes a difference.
There are, of course, good Rosés from all over France and we will offer our choice of these from time to time. My feeling is that they are often more traditional in style and some (not the ones we’ll choose), do not offer a very varied experience. Essentially, we are offering what we believe to be...
……..A Great NEW Taste from the Old World!
Why do I think you will like our wines?
Well, firstly, I know so many people already do, simply because they have told me so and have become regular customers! I cannot count the number of times, on my travels, people have said to me that it would be great to be able to buy these wines in the UK. We are offering exactly the same wines as can be bought in the South of France if one is quick enough. They are not re-labelled for us, nor do we bulk ship and bottle them here. These are exactly the same wines you will have had there if you have been fortunate enough to experience them already. Production quantities are quite small for some of them so we are pleased to have sourced a good supply. Even so - we will on occasion - run out of stock of some wines and will have to wait until the following year’s production for more. There is no hurrying up this natural process. Good news though, we have plenty in stock at the moment!
NEW Cork vs. Other Closures
The position in Europe regarding closures is, dare I say, fluid, but despite the occasional ‘corked’ wine I do believe Cork is best. Continuing research into cork processing will likely eradicate the cause of problems, there are promising results already. We are always happy to replace or credit a ‘corked’ bottle.
The plastic substitutes can be very tight in the bottle neck allowing the possibility of glass breakage around the bottle rim. The screw-top may be all right for convenience wines for immediate consumption, but does not impart any feeling of quality and can have some sharp edges too.
Technically, cork is probably not an absolute necessity for our Rosés as they are unlikely to be stored for an extended period, but it has proved its compatibility with wine over a very long time and is a natural material. The cork oak trees are ecologically sound and will likely remain as long as there is commercial need for them. Cork harvesting also helps a lot of rural communities and is vital for their economy. See www.corkmasters.com for more information.
Oh, and while I’m on this sort of subject, I especially like the foil pull tab used on Cuvée du Cep D’Or and Carte Noire. This is elegant to use and eliminates the need for a foil cutter. A deft flick of the wrist removing it, adds to the flair of presenting the wine at the table as does the proficient removal of the cork. Yes, I’ll choose a cork anytime! Happy drinking!
NEW The St Tropez Connection
You will likely have
noticed that several of our wines come from the St Tropez area. The St Tropez peninsula in Provence has absolutely ideal conditions for Rosé wine production. The climate and terroir coupled with substantial investment in improved vinification techniques over the last few years results in an outstanding product. Often best sourced from smaller vineyards where extreme care is taken. There is no doubt that the challenge presented to the French wine industry by the success of the new world growers has had a marked effect on French wine production. Now, there is the best of both worlds, retaining the historical experience and tradition of French winemaking, whilst combining the best modern production methods and equipment. to make a truly world class product. In the future we will be offering Rosé wines from throughout Europe, but they will all have meet our rigorous requirements in terms of quality and production.
NEW Glasses, What a Difference They Make (This article by Bill Burke appeared in COMPASS Magazine Summer 2005 titled 'The Enjoyment of Wine')
Then, I discovered master Austrian glassmakers Riedel, and everything changed!
The Riedel concept is that the shape of the glass makes a huge difference to enjoyment of different types of wine. The glass shape is optimised to bring out everything good in the wine. Therefore, different types of wine require different shaped glasses in order to be fully enjoyed at their absolute best.
I swiftly discovered that there was no question that our wines tasted better from the Riedel glass. The effect was startling, bringing out every nuance of fruit from our delicate dry Rosés.”
The ‘Riedel Crystal’ Rosé glass is uncut and thin walled resulting in such a low thermal mass that it frosts beautifully the instant the wine is poured. Gone forever, was the need to refrigerate my chunky cut crystal glasses! The Riedel glasses are available not just for Rosé, but optimised for each red or white wine variety to provide the ultimate tasting experience.
The Riedel concept that form follows function holds throughout the range with its variety of shapes. They are unadorned (barring the discreet Riedel brand on the base) and are generously sized to allow enough room for the wine’s bouquet to be fully appreciated. The lead crystal has a wonderful clarity which catches all the light and makes for a most elegant table.
Given all the above it probably comes as no surprise that Rose-wine.com uses Riedel glasses at all tastings and we are delighted to be a Riedel distributor."
Full catalogues and pricing for Riedel Crystal are available on request or please click on the link below to see a selection of items. The Rosé glass (featured in the photo) is from the Sommeliers hand made crystal range Cat No. 4400/4. Supplied individually in a Riedel gift tube it is on SPECIAL OFFER at £39 with FREE (UK) delivery.
of Scotland Rosé Wine Tasting Evening Many thanks to all who came along to this event. It was a pleasure to be asked to attend and to be able to present a selection of Rosé wines to a perceptive audience. Around 60 people attended and made this quite a buzzy event. Your feedback on the wines and the Riedel glassware was very much appreciated. The picture shows Institute President Ian McNeill (standing) along with Bill Burke of Rose-wine.com Many thanks also to all the volunteer openers and pourers who helped make this an excellent evening.
Time for
a glass of Rosé!
Best wishes,
Bill
Please feel free to provide me with your feedback on any wine related issue using this link Billwp@Rose-wine.com
Many thanks.
SEUL LE MEILLEUR
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LATEST..
Many thanks to all our customers who have virtually emptied our
warehouse of stock this year. Your business is very much
appreciated and I'm sorry if closing our online ordering facility causes
any inconvenience. It reminds me of some of these advertising
voiceovers where they say, "Buy Now! When it's gone. it's gone!"
With wine, especially good wine, that's sometimes the way it is.
Anyway, hopefully we will have more to offer next year. Your
valuable feedback has indicated that in addition to our established
products you would like to see us having a much wider selection of Ros
At
risk of controversy (why change the habit of a lifetime), my view
is there is no contest. Cork rules! I particularly like the
best Portuguese cork used on most of our wines, although we do
cautiously tolerate the full length plastic substitute where it has been
already adopted by a grower.
“Up
until just a few years ago, I tended to choose glassware used for
entertaining based simply on its appearance on a well set table. I
generally chose good quality cut crystal in two sizes to accommodate red
or white wines. When presenting a good Rosé I followed the convention of
using the white wine glass or a good decorated crystal Champagne flute
for our best Sparkling Rosés. 
Institute of Wines & Spirits
