I have to admit, usually I reach for the same "college girl" boxed wine when I am at the grocery store and look for bang for my buck rather than any other qualities of wine! This class is bringing a whole new challenge into my life as I have never sat back with my glass of wine and truly wondered about the notes, aging, types of grapes etc.. I usually would have my dad pick his favorite and trust his taste when it came to the overwhelming wine sections in stores. I have always said wine is one of my favorite drinks, but truly think my love stemmed (no pun intended) from the idea of it being a "higher class" beverage, and showed signs of maturity and adulthood, a metaphor for "sitting at the adult table".
As I was on the phone chatting with my mom through the aisles of Target, slightly overwhelmed at all the choices (and I wasn't even in a Winery yet), she recommended I grab a couple different bottles of different varieties and start there. For my first wine tasting blog, I chose to stay a little more on the comfortable side of my palate and chose a Rosé! I was very tempted to grab the aesthetically pleasing "college gal" bottle on the edge of the aisle with the enticing "Yes Way Rosé" large black printed label, but could hear my dad's lecture on marketing ploys in the back of my head.... I didn't fall into the trap .... this time.
Funnily enough, the Rosé which I settled on was from France. Not only was France the second country which I lived in growing up, but also one of my favorite family vacations I have ever been on. As I was curiously scrolling through old pictures from my travels, I found a picture of most likely one of my first few glasses of wine, a Rosé, in 2016 on a street corner in France. Sounds much lovelier than at a kitchen counter in Norman, Oklahoma, but I digress.
The wine I chose this week was the Sabine Aix-en-Provence Rosé by Bieler Père et Fils. I have seen this bottle many a time while perusing the wine section at Target and was drawn in by the red fruits it highlighted on the label, including wild strawberry and raspberry. This bottle was $14 and was found at my local Target in which the wine is organized by type rather than origin. Typically when shopping for wine during holidays with my dad, we are in stores which have the varieties of wine dispersed around the store in their country of origin, so this was a different way of looking for wine. Personally, I liked that the store was organized into variety rather than country or region, but that is probably the wine novice in me talking! For me, this organization made it much simpler to find the type of wine which you are looking for and see the different regions which you can purchase a bottle from rather than vice versa.
I tasted this wine tonight, chilled, without food during a girls night of watching movies! Initially I wasn't too sure if this wine was for me as the label and online review stated, it was more of a savory Rosé, when in the past I have been a bigger fan of sweeter Rosé. From what I learned about wine color in the textbook, the Pale Salmon color is typical of Provence Rosé and is also found similarly in White Zinfandel. The wine most definitely has some herbal notes as described on the label and I can taste the fruits which initially drew me into the wine. Through my reading I learned that Rosé Wines are typically made by maceration, which occurs over a 4-12 hour period in which the skins of the grapes are left to macerate in juice and are then later filtered out! This wine has great variety in grapes with 41% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 19% Cinsault, 15% Cabernet, and 5% Rolle. Each of these types of Grapes are heavily grown in France, as this is a French wine, but also are shown to be popular in Spanish regions!
☆ My Review: Overall I thought this wine was a more bold Rosé than I was used to but a balance of the herbal as well as fruity notes. For my own palate, this wine was definitely a slower drink, and I found myself taking much more time in between sips than would typically. The after taste begins very bold and sour, but eventually leaves a sweet taste behind. I still feel that I am getting used to tasting and understanding all the different parts of a wine, but enjoyed this more simple pick to begin my wine tasting journey!
☆ Fast Facts
Name: Bieler Père et Fils - Sabine Aix-en-Provence Rosé
Variety: 41% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 19% Cinsault, 15% Cabernet, and 5% RolleRegion: Provence
Country: France
Year: 2017
Price: $14
Winery review: A wild strawberry flavor gives this wine a richness that's balanced by tangy lemon peel and a light, peppery character. It's a straightforward wine to enjoy in the near term. - Wine Enthusiast - 88 points - 2019
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