Two Hearty Rosés

Chat-en-Oeuf Rosé 2010/2011
 
Sometime in July the 2011 vintage will start to replace the 2010 that won Chat-en-Oeuf Best Rosé in our wine competition earlier this year. Red, white, or pink, the whimsically labelled Cat-sitting-on-egg wines, punning on France’s renowned Châteauneuf region, are widely available and always solid value. Buy a case of the 2011 and drink it on the deck till the warm weather ends. And while you can, pick up a bottle or two of the 2010—still delicious and the perfect accompaniment for lazy afternoons. With its fruit a bit more muted, those slightly smoky herbal flavours are just right with Mediterranean salads.

Haywire Winery Gamay Noir Rosé 2010

Okanagan Crush Pad is the latest B.C. winery to join the worldwide rosé revolution that celebrates dry pink wines year round. Most rosés are built to be summer sippers, fine for immediate consumption but not real candidates for cellaring. OCP’s Haywire proves that good dirt and good bones—the land and the wine’s structure—give rosé life beyond the moment, following in the tradition of the excellent Bandol rosés of Provence. Haywire’s 2010 vintage is built to last, but it’s also just right for substantial outdoor summer food like grilled lamb with Moroccan spice, eggplant, mint, and yogurt.

SPOTLIGHT: The Wine Umbrella’s Mireille Sauvé

   Sauvé began her restaurant career in
   Edmonton at 14, became Canada’s youngest
   female sommelier, and now directs wine-marketing
   agency The Wine Umbrella.  

How did you get your start?

I got my sommelier diploma because I was so young I needed letters after my name to show management my potential. I gained experience at Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards (now See Ya Later) in the Okanagan and at Washington state’s Hedges Cellars.

What was it like to be a young female sommelier?

I once had a customer ask if there was a man he could speak to about my wine list. So I told a food runner to sell him a $200 bottle of wine, and he did it! Today, women are so much more welcome than they were even 10 years ago.

How do you get people excited about wine?

Through pairing with food. But it’s not just about what’s on the plate. There’s the occasion. Who are you eating with? Where? There’s no single perfect pairing.

What do you fancy this summer?

A pool, some oysters, and Alsace Pinot Gris.