Beautiful wine deserves beautiful food! Our favourite pairings with pink
By Elisa De Luca on 12 February 2020
Spring is round the corner, and with it the promise of warm days and balmy evenings. For some people that means one thing: it's time to drink pink!
But in the world of food and wine pairing, rosé is often left in the dust. Lying in the 'mid-ground' between white and red, many aren't too sure what to do with it when it comes to food matching. For many, it's seen as a less 'serious' option; something to enjoy in a sun-drenched beer garden rather than a proper accompaniment to a meal.
Best of both: what makes rosé work with food?
Rosé combines some of the best elements of white and red wines, providing a unique spectrum of flavours and aromas that make it suitable for pairing with a variety of dishes.
Like white wines, many rosés have a light mouthfeel and refreshing acidity. Yet, through spending time on skins (however minimal that time may have been), rosés also benefit from additional levels of structure, body and tannin, making them hugely versatile when it comes to food pairing.
And what about chilling reds?
A similar balance can be achieved by cooling down red wines. While reds are typically served un-chilled, reducing their average temperature down to around 10-13°C brings fruity flavours and acidity into focus, unveiling qualities and complexity that you might not have even realised were there.
While not every bottle will benefit from chilling - a cold Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, isn't likely to taste of much other than regret-inducing-bitterness - light-bodied, fruit driven reds like Beaujolais, Pinot Noir and Grenache will find themselves hugely enhanced by a short burst in an ice bucket.
But what to match them with?
Of course, matching food to wine is always a hugely subjective affair, but there are some rules which can help you guide a bottle to its perfect dish.
We've picked a few of our favourite pinks, from pale provencal to chillable light reds, and explored some delicious dishes to accompany them.
Light and dry rosé
Examples: Ultimate Provence, Chateau Saint Roux Pigeonnier, Domaine Lafage Miraflors, Whispering Angel
Medium-bodied, fruity rosé
Example: Charles Smith Band of Roses
Full-bodied, dark rosés and chilled reds
Examples: Prophets Rock Infusion, Morgon Lapierre, Garage Old Vine Pale