Rosabelle, Languedoc Rosé

This is a real beauty of a Rosé; elegant, fresh, light, perfumed, mouthwatering and balanced. All that's missing is... well, actually this is another in the growing rank of Rosé wines that we find to hold their popularity all year round. Excellent with food and a simple joy on its own.

One of the many tricky things about categorising Rosé wines is that there are so many myriad ways of making them without one, defined method being able to lay claim to being the authentic Rosé style. Certainly some regions have produced blush, pink coloured wines for many centuries and others may be newer to the practice, but as to what sets the benchmark... possibly Provence? Tavel? Anjou?

It's unfair to state. However, this ambivalence also gives rise to the greatest potential in Rosé wines' armoury - there is so much up for grabs and no one can really tell you what the right or wrong way to make rosé is, or what you should be drinking! Yes, there are appellation laws to consider, but the only other guide is the market.

Trends and fashions in Rosé wine drinking is now quite a big business. Over the past five years at least it is the Provence style that has called the shots in what is most likely to sell.

This Rosabelle, though not from Provence, is almost a direct copy, using the light pale colour palette and even the same grape varieties. It's a very good copy and not really that much different!