Whether it’s rosé, rosado (Spain), rosato (Italy) or “blush” – these terms all refer to pink wine. This pink shade can range from a soft, subtle hue to a vibrant, hot pink, depending on the grape used and how long the grape skins were in contact with the juice. Rosés can be made in a sweet, off-dry or bone dry style, with most European rosés being decidedly dry.

How does Rose get it’s colour?

The majority of rosé wines are made from a red grape varietal. The varietals most often used in making a rosé wine include: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Zinfandel. These varietals may be either used solo or in a blend. Rosé varietals are often country dependent, so a rosado from Spain will often be largely derived from the Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes, while Italy may utilize more Sangiovese for their rosatos and the U.S. would tend to lean towards Cab, Merlot and Zinfandel. Traditionally, the skins of a red grape are allowed to have brief contact with the grape juice. The shorter the contact time with the skins, the lighter the wine’s color will be. Extended time with juice and skins yields some amazing, eye catching color variations from vibrant orangey-pink to nothing less than a vivid hot pink. Sparkling rosés are traditionally made with a blend of red and white grapes, while this practice is usually limited to the sparkling category, it has popped up in production practices for some still rosé wines.

What is the flavor Profile of Rosé Wine

The flavors of rosé wines tends to be more subtle versions of their red wine varietal counterparts. The fruit expectations lean towards strawberry, cherry, and raspberry with some citrus and watermelon presenting on a regular basis.

When to Drink Pink?

Rosés are perfect for spring and summer, as they are served chilled and can be a refreshing accompaniment to a variety of warm weather fare. Rosé wines also top the charts for food-friendly versatility. So, if you are opting for “surf ‘n turf” rest assured that a rosé can handle both the seafood and the steak in one fell sip. It’s also a great picnic wine, as it tends to have both a lighter body and more delicate flavors on the palate, presenting a great wine partner for a ham, chicken or roast beef sandwich, along with a fruit, potato or egg salad and can even handle a variety of chips and dips. Rosés are also the perfect guest for a backyard barbecue, tackling hamburgers, hot dogs and even French fries and ketchup with ease.

While rosé wines may have experienced the shaft for a decade or so when the wine market was flooded with “White Zin” look alikes, many consumers are helping to break rosés out of the sweet, “wine cooler” mold and are embracing the broad stylistic offerings that are on the rosé market from all over the world. Wine lovers and wine makers are both the better for it! Rose wine sales are on the rise as savvy wine lovers have discovered that many of these pink wines are not the sugary sweet wines of old, but rather sophisticated summer sisters of many red wine varietals. To offer even more incentive to “drink pink” the vast majority of rosé wines offer good value for the money.

Here at Wineworks we can offer you a variety of different Chardonnays. Be it a more pronounced buttery chardonnay or a more minerally Burgundian Chablis, we have the perfect match for your palate. After all down here at Wineworks we always say it’s what you like that counts!  To find out about all our Chardonnays click here

This month Wineworks unveils it’s new rewards program

Everyone’s a winner down here at the Wineworks. Starting March 1st 2012, we are beginning The Wineworks Rewards Program.

Because our monthly promotions can be limited, we want to show our appreciation to everyone with every purchase. This way you are getting a deal on every wine you buy. Whatever your favourite wine is, it’s now always on promotion.

The rules are simple:

Every dollar you spend (before tax) will earn you 1 point

Accumulate 1000 points and you’ll be rewarded with $100 off your next purchase

Our monthly specials will still be offered but not in conjunction with the points program

Points are not transerferable between customers

Our famous Buy 5 offer is still the best deal in town but will not earn you points (Buy 5 at one time get the 6th free-a whopping 20% all the time!)

Refer us a friend (son, daughter, aunt, uncle, neighbour, priest, hairdresser…) you earn 100 points for every person you refer

No need to worry, we’ll keep track of everyone’s points on our computer so there is no need to cart around an extra card in your wallet. Watch out for opportunities to boost your points in the future on our website and facebook page. And as always if you have any questions…

Call us any time 250-384-8550

Cheers,

The Wineworks Team

The Sonoma Valley Unoaked Chardonnay and the blockbuster Barolo $15 off this month.

Our Vintners Reserve Specials:
Our Vintner’s Reserve Merlot and Chardonnay are $10 off this month

We still have a few spots left in some of our barrels call us for more details 250-384-8550

Wine options :

Woodbridge Cabernet Stag’s Leap Merlot/Amarone/Barolo

Our very own in-house blends:

Nebiolo/Syrah

Nebbiolo is grown in the Piedmont area of Italy (where it makes Barolo wine), Switzerland, California and Australia.It is notoriously difficult to grow; a late ripening grape that’s known for being tannic, pruny, tarry and chocolaty

The Syrah grape is grown in France and California as Syrah wine, and in Australia as Shiraz. In France, it is associated with the Rhone Valley andHermitage red wines. Syrah tends towards a minerally, blueberry, or sometimes spicy and peppery type of flavor.

Wines made from Nebbiolo are characterized by their ample amounts of acidity and tannin. Most examples are wines built for aging and some of the highest quality vintages need significant age  before they are palatable to many wine drinkers and can continue to improve in the bottle for upward of 30 years. As Nebbiolo ages, the bouquet becomes more complex and appealing with aromas of tar and roses being the two most common notes. Other aromas associated with Nebbiolo include dried fruit, damsons, leather, licorice, spice as well dried and fresh herbs.

In the Piedmont region, there is a long history of blending other grape varieties with Nebbiolo in order to add color and/or soften the grape’s harsh tannins this is why combining it with the Syrah is successful. Wines made from Syrah are often powerfully flavoured and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown, as well as other viticultural practices chosen. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red), chocolate, espresso and black pepper. No one aroma can be called “typical” though blackberry and pepper are often noticed. With time in the bottle these “primary” notes are moderated and then supplemented with earthy or savory “tertiary” notes such as leather and truffle.

Shiraz/Viognier

Syrah (Shiraz) blended with a small amount of Viognier is a traditional style of Côte-Rôtie blend in the northern Rhône. A typical Shiraz Viognier wine will contain between two and seven percent of the white variety. This seems a low amount but it is enough to change the chemical pathways of the development of the flavouring and colouring compounds during fermentation.

On the nose, the rich and ripe Shiraz fruit and spices are wellsupported by the fragrant and floral scents of the Viognier. This unique blend reveals flavours of mulberries, cherries and spices backed with peach and apricot notes. it’s a well-structured wine with soft tannins, white pepper spice and sweet berry fruit on the finish

To ensure we consistently provide you with the perfect wine for every occasion and taste, we offer our first-hand tasting knowledge of all our award-winning products and only handpick the ones we feel offer you the best quality wine. We also use a specialized water filtration system, glass carboys, and the popular option of customized oak barrel aging.

Come find out why those ‘in the know’ have been coming here for years; not only because we love to help people choose just their perfect wine but also because we relish the chance to help guide you through the winemaking process and introduce you to an exciting new experience: the winemaking lifestyle.