We are still in a romantic mood, having celebrated Valentine’s Day with our loved ones, and with this in mind, Thursday Food thought that yours should be a romantic weekend, full of blush, featuring the very best Argentine Rosado (aka Rosé) varietals. As we have shared before on these pages, a rosé is a wine that incorporates some of the colour from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. Rosé happens when the skins of red grapes touch wine for only a short time and the colour palette can range from a very pale orange to a vivid near-purple hue, depending on the grape varieties and winemaking techniques used. Normally, the wine is labelled rosé in French, Portuguese, and English-speaking countries, rosado in Spanish, or rosato in Italian, and can be made still, semi-sparkling or sparkling with a wide range of sweetness levels from a wide variety of grapes.

Despite being the preferred wine for spring/summer, blush wines are quite diverse and can be enjoyed all year round. In fact, they are considered to be gateway wines used to initiate newly minted vinophiles, are highly food-friendly, fresh and fruity, making them the perfect sip for this weekend’s post-Valentine romantic interlude. Although nothing can replace the season’s ubiquitous flora of the day, the red rose, an evening of romance is incomplete without the pink of a rosé. Beyond being delicious, rosé is incredibly versatile, possessing characteristics of both red and white wines.

This allows it to pair beautifully with a wide range of foods, including meats, fish, veggies, dessert, and beyond. Additionally, because it goes great with everything, rosé is a fantastic wine to bring to a dinner party or social gathering. The elegant, steady stream of pink bubbles in a glass of sparkling rose evokes glamour and luxury that are emblematic of Valentine’s Day celebrations of love, be it with a romantic partner or a group of girlfriends. Here are a few tips on how to buy a good rosé:

#1

Look for a brightly coloured wine. Pink wines turn salmon as they age, so look for and stick with a wine that is still youthful.

#2

Select the most recent vintage (year). If you have a choice between two bottles of rosé, for example 2020 or 2022, choose the wine made in 2022.

#3

Check the alcohol level of the wine so you choose which is best for you. If this is above 12.5 per cent, then that is a good indication that the rosé will be dry, but, should it fall below 12.5 per cent, then it’s likely to be an off-dry or sweet rosé style.

#4

Check where it was made. Rosé production began in Provence over 2,500 years ago and since then, the variety has become a global favourite commanding 10 per cent of total wine production. France leads the worldwide trade but in the Americas, Argentina is the leading exporter so, if you’re not buying a French rosé, then an Argentine rosado is bound to please the palate.

Here are four outstanding rosados (three sparkling and one still) from the land of Malbec:

Don Rodolfo NV Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine is a dry, earthy rosé blend produced in Lujan De Cuyo by Bodega Don Rodolfo’s Art of the Andres brand. The wine, which has 13 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume), is pink in colour, expressing aromas of apple sauce, stewed white fruit and tea bag. It has a light-to-medium body with a short-to-medium wheatgrass and plantain finish. The wines of Don Rodolfo the Art of the Andes are made from vineyards located 3,300 and 5,000 feet above sea level and a portion of every bottle of wine sold is donated to support an economically diverse group of aspiring Argentinian artists. These artists are assisted in acquiring art supplies, studio time, and continual education via special workshops, artist lectures and participation in open studios. The wine’s labels feature a vividly geometric version of one of Argentina and Chile’s most well-known landmarks, the Andes Mountains, which was developed with a local artist.

Mendel Rosadia, a rosé wine comprising Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes, is made by Mendel Wines from vineyards located in the Altamira area of the Uco Valley region. With 14 per cent ABV, the wine delivers intense aromas reminiscent of white peach, pineapple and citrus fruits. On the palate it is a fresh, fruity wine with a delicate and smooth mid-palate, which makes it very easy to drink. In addition to their vineyards in Paraje Altamira, Mendel Wines also operates two others in Lujan De Cuyo: the Mendel Estate (Finca Mendel) located 950 metres above sea level with 11 hectares and Finca De Los Andes (Farm of the Andes) located 1,050 metres above sea level with six hectares.

Alma Negra Brut Nature (Rosé) NV is produced by Ernesto Catena Vineyards in Agrela and Tupungato, Mendoza. The rosé is made using the traditional (Champenoise) method and has 12.5 per cent ABV, expressing an aromatic intensity that is fruity with toasted notes. On the nose, strawberry, blueberries and delicate buttery aromas are evident while on the palate, it has fresh acidity with a medium body and a long finish, as well as a delicate yet persistent stream bubbles when poured. Winemaker Ernesto Catena is a fourth-generation member of the famed Catena wine family who founded his bodega in 2000, developing a winemaking style dubbed “the path of the artist”. Also known as the ‘wine poet’, Ernesto sees his mission as transforming winemaking into a true art, like painting, music and dance that are executed with feeling, expressing the soul.

Malbec Bubbles Extra Brut Rosé NV is a 100 per cent sparkling Malbec that is produced by Gouguenheim Winery from vineyards located 3,600 feet above sea level, in Tupungato, Mendoza. It has 12.1 per cent ABV and expresses delicate red fruit aromas including strawberry and red cherry. The wine is very fresh and crisp in the mouth, having bright fruit flavours, with equilibrated acidity while on the finish, it has a lovely persistence of small and brilliant bubbles. Bodega Gouguenheim first opened its doors in 2002 in Tupungato, the realisation of a long-held dream by Patricio Gouguenheim who was born in Argentina to French parents.

Deciding which wine to have this weekend shouldn’t be complicated, so if you have to choose one bottle, make it pink and sparkling. Salud!