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Honestly, for me there’s nothing like a Rosé in the sun. And there are dozens to choose from.
Highlights for me are Ant Moore in a giant 1.5 litre bottle – this retails for around $25. Slightly darker than a French Rosé, it’s dry with crisp fruits and a herby background.
Grise Maritime Rosé costs around $17 – we can’t talk Rosé without a visit to France and this light pink wine is light and easy in the mouth. Made from cinsault, grenache noir and syrah, it’s full of exotic red fruits with a long finish. And then, of course, for a classic Kiwi Rosé, Nelson’s Tohu fits the bill at $15.
It’s got a deep coral hue in the glass and made from Pinot grapes it displays redcurrant and rose petal aromas. You’ll get ripe summer strawberries, candied fruits and hints of cranberry. It’s off-dry with both freshness and length.
Of course another summer favourite is bubbles. If you haven’t tried Prosecco yet, Invivo’s Graham Norton’s Own is the place to start. Kiwi wine makers, an Irish wine buff (Norton) and Italian grapes have combined to produce this beautifully off-dry bottle. It has just won a Gold Medal at the New World Wine Awards and is awesome value at around $16.99. At the same price is the new Lindauer Vintage Series Rosé. I remember attending a bubbly tastings panel and being absolutely blown away with regular Lindauer Rosé – this bottle, a step up, is promising, and sparkling Rosé is a treat any day.
The Kiwi love affair with a good Sav Blanc endures, and a best seller where I work is the organic Little Darling, now selling as a cleanskin because they had more wine than labels. I don’t personally drink the ‘savvys’ but this one has had dozens of customer endorsements – just $10!
For Chardonnay, big and creamy, Harken from California is my pick of the Americans at $21.99. For a lighter Chard, try the local Giesen with hints of cedar spice and nectarine flavours, $12.99.
John Davies has managed wine retailers, on and off, since 2012. He’s a part-time manager at Manly Liquor. All his suggestions can be purchased there.
