Around the World Rosé Day
I don’t usually celebrate Rosé Day, pink wine not being a favorite of mine. However, this year the intermittent bright spring weather in Istanbul has gifted me with a fresh outlook on pink. So, I decided to dive into Rosé Day with a celebration of four wines from three of the wine countries I know the best: Turkey, Austria, and Greece.
Rosé Day in Turkey
Rosé, or blush wine has gained popularity in Turkey over the last few years. Most wineries have added at least one to their roster (although a few have done it reluctantly). Some wineries make a distinction between the two terms. Particularly if they make more than one pink wine, the blush usually carries a lighter color than the rosé. All but one winery, Vino Dessera, make their rosés from 100% black grapes.
Asmadan winery is one of those that makes the distinction. The winery makes two rosés: a 100% Öküzgözü rosé and a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Blush. I wrote previously about the Asmadan Öküzgözü rosé so today it’s all about the blush. Asmadan sources its Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards in Eceabat on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Cool breezes off both the Aegean Sea and from the Dardanelles save grapes grown in this hot climate from over ripeness. A particularly valuable advantage when making rosé!
Asmadan Gönülden Blush, 2018
Alcohol: 13.5% abv
Color: Pretty, pale salmon
Nose: Medium intense fruity character with sun-ripened raspberry, mashed strawberry, and peach with floral and fresh herb details
Palate: Dry, medium-bodied with medium alcohol and a fresh and lively acidity. Palate flavor largely reflected aromas found on the nose but without any additional intensity. It had something of a fruit hard candy vibe going that was not unpleasant.
My second Turkish rosé for today, incidentally also a “blush”, sadly illustrates why I am so leery about pink wine. Öküzgözü Şarapçılık is a winery within a winery. Initially a bulk producer making table wine generally sold to meyhane and event halls, a few years ago the owner decided to make a sharp right turn. They still produce bulk wine, which I suspect pays for the higher quality and smaller quantity wines. However, now Öküzgözü Şarapçılık turns out a series of nice reds and pretty decent whites. This, their first blush, I hope is just an aberration.
Öküzgözü Şarapçılık Phocée Blush, 2017
This a blend of 60% Öküzgözü and 40% Foça Karası, this wine represents not only the winery’s first venture into rosé wines, but the country’s first rosé with Foça Karası. The wine macerated with skins for a full day which might explain the rather alarming color.
Alcohol: 12.5% abv
Color: Extremely flamingo pink
Nose: Not very expressive on the nose but with faint aromas of cranberry, red fruits, and candy.
Palate: With 3.5 g/L of residual sugar, the Phocée Blush stops just shy of being off-dry but a solid dose of citric acidity drove it to the dry side of the scale. Fairly light on the body with the overwhelming flavor of tart pixie sticks and a blessedly short finish.
Domäne Wachau Zweigelt Rosé, 2017
This Steinfeder Classic from Domäne Wachau is a 100% Zweigelt, vegan-certified wine from Wachau, Niederösterreich in Austria. Before the DAC system was implemented, Wachau had its own classification system in Steinfeder, Federspiel, and Smaragd. A system still used in conjunction with the DAC. Steinfeder, not often found outside Austria, is the lightest of the three styles. Fresh and fruity with a maximum of 11.5% abv, these are wines meant to be drunk young. Zweigelt is, of course, the pride of Austrian red wines.
Alcohol: 11.5% abv
Color: Bright, ballerina pink
Nose: Medium intense aromas of crushed summer berries, with hints of candy, fresh herbs, and sparkling edge of citrus.
Palate: Dry and light-bodied with medium acidity and the faintest impression of tannins. Far more savory that I was expecting, this was probably my favorite out of this bunch with flavors of herbed popcorn.
The Greek rosé for today’s post has a bit of a funny story. Not funny “ha ha” rather more funny odd. I did not buy this, nor did my Athenian friends. I actually sampled it at a dinner party here in Istanbul. But after about 40 minutes of Googling in both English and my limited Greek (just completed month three of Greek class!) I still have no idea who made the wine. There’s no obvious winery attached to it. The closest guess I can make is that possibly this comes from Sokos Wines (which grows the right grape in the right PGI) but they don’t want to claim it. Or, one of Greece’s wine cooperatives make it. If anyone does know please tell me!
OINOXΩΡA Grenache Rouge Roze, 2016
The wine’s name, “OINOXΩΡA” which simply means “wine cellar” also gave no clue as to the winery. However, what the label did tell me, was that the grapes, 100% Grenache Rouge, came from the PGI Plagias Kithaironas in Central Greece. The grapes here grow at altitudes of 300 to 400 meters. And that’s pretty much the total sum of what I could learn about this particular PGI. On to the mystery wine!
Alcohol: 11.5% abv
Color: Dark salmon orangey-pink
Nose: Medium intense smashed strawberries, cranberries, and fresh herbs
Palate: Off-dry but the acidity balanced nicely so I didn’t really feel the residual sugar. Although apparently as an American, I have a higher threshold for tasting sweet. Light-bodied with medium acidity and more herbal savory than sweet and fruity flavors. Overall nothing really to write home about in this wine, but a perfectly pleasant (if innocuous) tipple.