Bouquet of rosés to toast mothers
What can be French, Mexican or Persian? A New Yorker or a resident of Jaipur?Shocking, flamboyant, Barbie doll, demure as strawberries- and -cream, or sweet as candy- floss?
Steely, dusty, blushing or punchy, it takes some of its many names from salmon, coral reefs, cherry blossoms, carnations, the tango and the fandango, flamingos and champagne.
Pink. A colour with at least as many shades and personalities as there are types of mothers, and probably their taste in wine and drinks as well.
As much as the association of pink with any woman-related occasion can be irritatingly clichéd, fortunately the range of pink wines is vast.
So, let’s embrace the stereotype and dive right into a bouquet of rosés to celebrate the diversity of our moms on Mother’s Day tomorrow.
Bubbly specialists Krone can always be relied on for a méthode cap classique to rise to the occasion.
Their prettily packaged pink options (widely available at around R145) include the Vintage Rosé Cuvée Brut, an elegant floral bubbly with juicy berry flavours, fine creamy mousse and smooth dry finish.
The Night Nectar Demi-Sec Rosé is delicately semi-sweet, with spun sugar on the nose, velvety texture and strawberries-and-cream notes.
The cheekily named Fat Bastards from Robertson have added a rather delicious pinot noir rosé to their line-up of “full-bodied wines to be enjoyed with bellyfuls of laughs and good-natured cheer” (seems like the right atmosphere for a celebratory Mother’s Day lunch!)
From pinot noir grapes pressed just long enough to give the wine its delicate salmon pink colour, it has hints of typical pinot noir strawberries and floral notes, all fresh, flavourful and zippy, with a dry finish. About R85 and quite delicious.
If mom’s more of a red wine fan, Fat Bastard has also recently launched their Golden Reserve, a silky, juicy cabernet sauvignon-merlot blend (about R120), with sweet blackcurrant notes and full-bodied richness.
Smooth, appealing and drinkable, it would be a win with a meaty main course.
Another pink treat comes from Carrol Boyes with the cinsaut-based Sketchbook Rosé.
It’s quite delightful: all petals, blossoms and strawberries with crisp underlying minerality and dry finish, plus there’s a pretty bottle illustrated by Boyes to keep.
A bit late for Mother’s Day, as it’s only available online (R420 for six 6 at www.carrolboyeswines.com), but certainly one to keep in mind for another occasion.
