Ideas for Rose Wine Pairings

By Georgia Zoe Hill on December 9, 2015

Although Rose is often overlooked category of wine, it should not be. The truth is, this extremely refreshing wine makes the perfect option for warm summer days and can be paired with almost any warm-climate cuisine and comfort foods.

While there are some rose styles that are quite distinct, there are others that are quite similar to red and white wine. Be it you like Domaine Chandon, Yering Station or Marcello Lambrusco, we have gathered some ideas on rose wine pairings that you should definitely try.

Drinking Rose

Light Dry Rose

  • Examples: Most Provencal Roses, Italian Bardolino Chiaretto, Pinot Noir based Roses from Loire and Burgundy.
  • If you are looking for an idea of how they taste, crisp dry white wines such as Pinot Grigio are the nearest equivalents to this style of rose wine.
  • Food Pairing: Light salads, light pasta and rice dishes combined with seafood, grilled fish and goats, and lightly cooked shellfish. Perfect to enjoy in a hot summer day.

Light Off-Dry Rose

  • Examples: Traditional Portuguese roses and those with touch of sweetness like Mateus Rose and Rose d’Anjou.
  • Food Pairing: This style can be paired with similar foods with which light dry rose can, the main difference being that light off-dry rose wines pair better with salads rather than with fish. It can be also combined with rice dishes and mildly spiced curries.

Medium Dry Rose

  • Examples: Sparkling Zin and White Zinfandel
  • Food Pairing: You can pair this style with all the foods mentioned in #1. But you may also find it a good combination with spicy foods or drink it as a dessert wine.

Medium-Bodied Dry Roses

  • Examples: Spanish Roses from Rioja and Navarra and Southern French wines such as Languedoc and Rhone.
  • Food Pairing: This is a pretty versatile style that can go well with big flavours such as garlic, olives, anchovy, pimenton and saffrom. Therefore, it is the ideal wine to pair with a salad Nicoise, a paella, a lamb with herb or grilled chichen.

Rose Wine

Elegant, Fruity Roses

  • Examples: More expensive Provencal Roses and Merlot-based Bordeaux Rose.
  • Food Pairing: This style of Rose goes well with lobster, tuna, seared salmon, and delicately cooked lamb. White-rinded cheeses are also an ideal food choice to pair a glass of this type of wine with.

Full-Bodied Fruity Roses

  • Examples: Syrah and Cabernet Rose from Australia, California and Chile.
  • Food pairing: While this style is usually high in alcohol, that does not really show because it is not tannic and can be served chilled. This makes it a perfect combination for a barbecue and spicy foods.

Sparkling Rose

  • Example: Australian and New Zealand sparkling Rose, Cava
  • Food Pairing: Lighter, drier styles are ideal for party drinking. On the other hand, sweeter ones are more appropriate, let’s say for ‘tea parties’ with cakes, fruit tarts and muffins.

 

As you can see, when it comes to Rose wine pairings, it can be pretty simple to pair it with a wide array of foods and serve it on different occasions. Enjoy the hot season and refresh yourself with a glass of Rose wine. Cheers!