Sunlight sparkled off the water while rose’ shimmered in Riedel glasses on a sun-drenched, picture-perfect, Friday afternoon at the third annual La Nuit en Rose’ yacht party.
Rose’ is made from Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cinsault, Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay, among other grape varieties, and can be blends or produced from a single varietal. Rose’s run the gamut of flavor profiles and this helps to make them versatile food pairing candidates that can be enjoyed at every season all year round.
However, few can argue that there are few things quite as right in a glass as rose’ on a warm spring or summer day (especially when cruising along the Hudson River aboard a Hornblower Infinity Yacht).
Champagne, Cremant, sparkling Italian and Spanish, and a number of still rose’ blends and single varietals were poured on a four-hour affair that included a two-hour tour around New York City. Guests paired their rose’s with a buffet of small dishes ranging from paella and duck, to tacos and tuna tartare. There was even cotton candy.
It was a moment for celebration, so it was time for bubbly. Champagne like a crisp Nicolas Feuillatte, NV Brut Rose’, with persistent effervescence, and fresh strawberry, blueberry and raspberry notes, and a Nicolas Feuillatte, NV D’ Luscious, Brut Rose’ Demi-Sec, with sweet strawberry and slightly herbaceous notes were perfect for the occasion, as were cremant from Alsace and Bourgogne, among other regions.
Like champagne, cremant is produced using The Methode Champenoise (The Traditional Method) so they undergo a second fermentation in the bottle. However, cremant is produced outside of Champagne, France and can be made from grapes other than Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Cremant also differ from Champagnes because they tend to have floral aromatics and fruit driven flavor profiles without the toasty and nutty notes that are often present in champagne. Cremant can offer great value and quality.
Cremant such as a fresh, lively and effervescent Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rose’ with ripe strawberry and floral notes were just right on this rose’-centered sunny afternoon. For those who prefer a measure of toastiness and nuttiness, champagne like those from Nicolas Feuillatte offer both structure and complexity, and are well priced for the value.
The Italians have their own style of sparkling rose’ and Ferrari Vineyards makes some of the best. The Ferrari Brut Rose’ was full of rose aromatics, and stone fruit, berry and yeast notes.
Sparkling wines from the New World were also on hand. California based Chandon Vineyards showcased a Chandon Brut Rose’ made in The Methode Champenoise (The Traditional Method). It had a fine mousse and balanced acidity. This forty year old vineyard combined Old World French vines and wine production history with New World California soil and climate. The result was a clean and crisp Chandon Brut Rose’ with ripe strawberry and cherry notes.
The Spaniards brought their style of rose’s on board with a sampling of ten rosados from Navarra, Spain. Rosados tend to be deeper in color than rose’s from some other areas like Provence and possess ripe strawberry, preserved fruit, and delicate sweet spice notes. The Pago de Cirsus Rose’ Gran Cuvee Especial had rich berry, tropical fruit and vanilla notes, along with balanced oak.
There is no event dedicated exclusively to rose’ quite like La Nuit en Rose’ that is as comprehensive, so please check out http://www.nuitrose.com for tickets and catch the next boat when the party returns around the same time in 2017.
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