This ebullient rosé is just bursting with ripe red-berry fruit flavours (cherry, raspberry and strawberry) and culminates in a crisp and refreshing finish. Chill this rosé for thirty minutes and serve it as a tasty accompaniment to grilled-chicken satays, tuna steaks or a light vegetarian meal on the patio.

This boldly unique blend of Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah is aged in oak for 16 months before bottling.

TASTING NOTE: Stratus's sassy second label, Wildass Wines, represents some of the best quality for price wines being produced in Niagara. As winemaker J.L. Groux explains, the goal is to make Stratus White and Stratus Red. Batches that are declassified down to the Wildass tier have been farmed to the same exacting standards that crafted bottles that fetch $45 per bottle. This is a rosé that drinks like a red wine. The Gamay-dominant blend reveals an interesting spicy and cherry nose that gains more oomph from extended barrel maturation. This seems fresher and [fruitier] than the 2005 Wildass Rosé, but still stands at the extreme edge of the rosé spectrum. Fans of unconventional wines will like this a lot.  Score - 1/2 (out of 5). (Christopher Waters, www.watersandwine.com, March 31, 2008) 

071712    (XD)            750 mL    $19.00     

This brilliant-pink, juicy-fruity rosé is perfect for the casual barbecue party. A blend of Zinfandel, Grenache and Mourvèdre, it's off-dry with ripe strawberry, red cherry and citrus fruit flavours balanced with medium acidity. This wine captures the warmth and beauty of a California sunset.

Sourced from old-vine Grenache in the Barossa Valley, this vibrant-pink rosé is bursting with fresh strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavours. It's dry with a round texture, medium body and a seam of natural acidity providing a refreshing backbone. Perfect with a plate of antipasto on the patio.

Another great wine from one of New Zealand's most reliable producers. Made with Merlot, this rosé offers plenty of pure raspberry, strawberry and melon flavours with a fresh vein of acidity and a hint of tannin. Ripe and flavourful with a spicy finish, it's a perfect refresher to sip on warm summer evenings.

You don't have to be sitting on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean to be enjoying this ripe, crisp, and flavourful Provence rosé. In fact, contrary to a popular myth, rosés are much more than merely summer sippers. With aromas of rosehip, cherry, red pepper and dry raspberry, it is a great year-round meal starter or an excellent match for veal tenderloin, grilled white fish or herbed chicken.

The cuisine of Provence seems to have a real affinity for the region's best rosés. Very crisp and dry, this wine delivers flavours of straw-berries, cranberries and spice. An ideal match for a homemade aioli (the great garlicky dipping sauce) or pan-seared scallops grilled in butter and garlic.

The Carignano del Sulcis DOC in Sardinia is exclusively reserved for red and rosé wines made from the Carignano (Carignan) grape. This pretty-coloured wine has an enticing nose of strawberry, spring meadows and citrus. Dry and quite flavourful, it is actually a very good match for lamb dishes, a specialty of Sardinia.

Portugal's portfolio of utterly unique and inspiring wines now includes vivid and refreshing rosés, like this one. This wine blends two indigenous varieties, the famous Port grape, Touriga Nacional, and an important black grape native to the Dão region, Alfrocheiro. Elegant and fresh with bright cherry and raspberry flavours, this wine would pair well with freshly caught grilled bass or trout.

This family winery has been crafting wines in the heart of the Jumilla region in southern Spain since 1925. This fresh and fruity rosé is made from 100% Monastrell (a.k.a. Mourvèdre). It is lovely on its own or with Manchego cheese, or pair it with smoked or pan-fried fish.

NINO FRANCO FAIVE ROSÉ BRUT  2006
Veneto - Italy  

TASTING NOTE: Veneto-based Nino Franco winery makes some of the region's best sparklers, most notably full-flavourful Prosecco. This primarily Merlot-based bubbly with 20% Cabernet Franc is a new twist and a fine one at that. Fairly full bodied, slightly off-dry with a fruity nose and hints of fresh strawberry, it's full of character. The creamy texture and good weight give it the stuffing to marry well with veal and pork. I found it excellent with Berkshire pork chops. (Margaret Swaine, The National Post, Feb. 9, 2008) 

031567    (D)            750 mL    $21.95