A Rosé for the Sunny Days

Our first rosé in 2010!

If you’re like us, there are few things more exciting than the first few outdoor rosés of the year. Nothing screams summer and good times
like rosé. Last Saturday was the perfect day for that. It was sunny and warm in NYC and it was the kind of day that makes you think “With spring days like this, who needs summer, really?”. We went out for a bike ride and opened this French rosé  on the roof of our building when we came back. The bottom of the air was still cold, as the French saying goes, but it was definitely warm and sunny enough for a rosé, especially when we’re talking about the spring version of this Mas de Gourgonnier wine.

We paired it with a sandwich we picked up on our bike ride: organic turkey and cheddar from Foragers’ Market in Dumbo. It was good but, to be honest, this wine would have been much more at home along a fruity, crisp salad like this pomegranate seeds and fennel salad Jaclyn serves alongside her crab cakes or maybe even this fennel and apple salad from Not Derby Pie. Venison pâté would also be a great pairing for this, ideally the caribou and figs one Chloe’s parents tend to buy in Quebec City – a must buy from the awesome Epicerie Europeenne in Old Quebec if you’re ever around.

The wine smells of peaches and strawberry – did we say summer wine? – but is by no mean overwhelming. It tastes very full in the mouth while remaining well-balanced. There are some smoky flavors as well as some woodsiness. It is a very food friendly rosé and is very savory as opposed to many sweeter rosés who tend to be on the fruity side. It would be perfect with a platter of meats and cheeses, bruschetta or young olives – the perfect aperitive for a sunny afternoon, really!

We cannot wait for the next bottle.

Mas de Gourgonnier 2009, Nicholas Cartier et ses fils| $16 at Dandelion Wines, Greenpoint, Brooklyn NY