Meridian Wine Merchants celebrates Rosé month: Find your #ShadesOfRosé inspiration this August

Saturday, 17 August, 2019
Meridian Wine Merchants
The popularity of Rosé wines seems unstoppable. Enjoyed by famous Hollywood A-listers and served in trendy bars from St. Tropez to New York, this red-and-white cousin has become a global success story. With this pink drink getting trendier, and more sophisticated, by the day, it is little wonder that some consider August as international Rosé month.

No longer just associated with the sweet-tasting bright pink examples of the past, the new wave of Rosé is delicate, classy, refined and complex. Traditionally the best examples are made in the South of France. These Provencal-style Rosés have a loyal following with delicate pink onion-skin complexions, crisp palates and delicate berry aromas. While this remains a benchmark style, the popularity of Rosé has evolved beyond Provence, with South Africa impressing wine lovers with a spectacular selection of styles of critical appeal.

Made from nearly any red wine grape ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Grenache, Shiraz, wines made in the Rosé style have diverse characteristics. The best examples are always gorgeous to look at with a sensory profile that corresponds to initial aromas of red berries, rose petals, white peaches, candyfloss, jasmine, melon or citrus zest.

From seriously styled Jean Roi Cap Provinçial Rosé and Delaire Graff Cabernet Franc Rosé, to the fruit-forward exuberance of Beyerskloof Pinotage Dry Rosé, Saronsberg Rosé and Ernie Els Big Easy Rosé or the blushing grace of De Grendel Rosé, Cederberg Sustainable Rosé and Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé there are so many stylistic nuances to discover and fall in love with. There’s effortless flirtatious fun to be found in Ken Forrester Petit Rosé, Cape Town Wine Company Rosé, Klein Constantia KC Rosé, Diemersdal Sauvignon Rosé, Protea dry Rosé, Buitenverwachting Blanc de Noir and the recently released Haute Cabrière Pinot Noir Rosé. 

While there are various formulas to making Rosé, the finest examples include a short period of red grape skin contact with freshly pressed juice or must draw a tinge of colour. Each winemaker’s vinification technique is never quite the same meaning that every Rosé has its own individual colour – a signature Pantone. This makes Rosé one of the most visually stimulating wine categories, with a rich spectrum of complexions, from rose, quartz, onion-skin, coral, blush to copper, melon and dark salmon leading to a whole wonderful wheel of prettiness.

“We live in a visually rich world, where aesthetic beauty is generously shared through social media. The rise in popularity of Rosé is perfectly in sync with this hedonistic view of wine, having the great power to seduce at first sight,” says Cape Wine Master, Heidi Duminy. “There are few wines that are so instantly enticing – and then to discover the fantastic diversity of styles and expressions is a journey of sheer delight.”

Inspired by this rich display of colours, and in celebration of international Rosé month, Meridian Wine Merchants challenged a group of local influential wine lovers to participate in a national #ShadesOfRosé campaign. The result was a gorgeous display of different shades of Rosé, by wine lovers Jason Greer, Loren Cohen, Shelly Mokoena, Leila Saffarian, Fiona Rossiter, Claire Allen, Garth Breytenbach, Lisa Georgiades, Gaynor van Rooyen, Gosia Podgorska and Kristen Duff, who shared their #ShadesOfRosé journeys on social media.

The most captivating en pointe submission was by food stylist, writer and influencer Megan Daniels, who, inspired by Klein Constantia’s KC Rosé, posted a beautiful shot of her striking a perfectly balanced ballet pose. Commenting on how the unique colour of this Rosé inspired her winning submission, Daniels said: "I was paired with Klein Constantia (which has) the colour ‘Desert Sand’ (reminiscent of the soft pinkish hue of the desert at sunset), and was inspired by my 17 years of professional Ballet dancing in the Cape Town City Ballet company that I gave up to pursue a career in Hospitality and Tourism." 

With such an exquisite display of qualities, ‘pink’ is an obvious choice for creatives who see life just a little bit differently. The delicate structure striking a balance, display of colours, attractive aromas and perfect palate weight, leaves no reason to not explore Rosé as a wine to love in its own right.


Visit Meridian Wine Merchants’ Facebook page and find your Rosé inspiration this August: https://bit.ly/2JZczsk