Even though it is still chilly, you can already see people wandering in the streets. Many restaurateurs have also opened their terraces. And you may have even started to smell your neighbor's barbeque. There are signs that do not deceive: the spring is well installed.

If you go to the SAQ in the next few weeks, you will find that here too we prepare the arrival of the spring, putting forward the rosé wines. This is indeed the most popular period for this type of wine, often left out the rest of the year.

The rosé wine has become, over the years, a symbol of spring. It is the transition between winter and summer, the transition between gourmet red wines tasted during the colder months, and the light and acidic white wines that will be enjoyed during the warmer months.

But in fact, how do we make rosé?

A mixture of white and red, will you ask me laughing? In fact, there is at least one appellation in the world that authorizes this practice, and not the least credible, since it is about the appellation Champagne. Yes, to make rosé champagne, we mix especially white wine based Chardonnay and red wine based Pinot Noir.

This technique, however, remains marginal elsewhere. There are essentially two methods of making a rosé wine: the press rosé, and the bleeding rosé. In both cases, one must use a variety of black grapes, because, as in red wine, it is the skin of the grape that will give the color to the rosé wine.

The press rosé, as the name suggests, is simply pressing the grapes. There is almost no contact with the skin, which leaves a very pale pinkish hue. We prefer this type of rosé in the spring, whether at aperitif, picnic, on the terrace, or even at the edge of the swimming pool, because they are the easiest rosés to drink.

The bleeding rosé implies a greater contact with the skin of the grapes. The grape is left "bleeding" ... which gives it a generally dark pink tinge. The result is a more complex wine, which will be more appreciated around a good meal, and not just in the spring.

Our spring suggestion

The more the summer arrives, the more it is preferable to go towards rosé more and more dry, that is to say more and more low in residual sugar. But why not enjoy the beginning of spring cooler, and the time of sugars, to spoil with a rosé a little more comforting ...

The vineyard Les Vents d'Ange, in St-Joseph-du-Lac, produces a semi-dry but very digestible rosé, just below 10 g / L of residual sugar. The Marie-Rose cuvée is a salmon-colored dress with orange-colored hues, and is particularly attractive due to its nose, strawberry tart flavors, candied orange peel and hay. The palate is very enveloping, with an almost creamy texture, but a great balance thanks to a nice acidity that supports the whole.

This young vineyard, which has been producing wine for ten years, is always surprising by the quality of its products. They also make very good beers (but that's for another chronicle!). The winemaker André Lauzon also baptized his cuvées by first names, which are in fact members of his family: his daughter Alexandra gave his name to the red wine, his other daughter Catherine lent her to white wine. The first name associated with the rosé, Marie-Rose, comes from his grandmother. Just a small visit to the vineyard to realize that Les Vents d'Ange is really a family story!

The Marie-Rose cuvée is available in the vineyard, and in many SAQs throughout Quebec, at a cost of $ 12.55. Because yes, the strength of this vineyard is also its very good quality-price ratio.

Enjoy this rather cool wine, around 8 ° C. Very versatile, it can be enjoyed very well alone at the aperitif, but will also accompany remarkably a salmon dish lacquered with maple, or even simply at the end of meals with cheeses and red fruits.

Cheers!