If climate change becomes more and more of a reality, then one of the winners might be rose, says wine columnist Mark Henderson.
While there are many who will happily drink rose year round, this really is a wine style that excels in warmer weather.
Rose can be made from almost any red grape, with merlot and cabernet having their pundits, but pinot noir has become relatively dominant in New Zealand, much like grenache in France and Spain.
A handful of wineries have a long history with rose, with grapes and vineyards specifically earmarked for their production (Forrest and Esk Valley are two that immediately spring to mind), but the surge in production that occurred in the mid-2000s came partly as a by-product of pinot noir making.
Almost all red grapes have white flesh: their colour comes from macerating with the skins as they ferment.
Winemakers use the saignee (from the French ''to bleed'') method whereby they will run off and keep separate a portion of the juice from the fermentation tank, early in to the process.
This leaves a higher ratio of skins to juice in the fermentation tank, which allows greater extraction of colour and flavour compounds in their pinot noir.
They are left with a batch of lightly coloured juice, which can become rose.
In times past, some mistook the lack of colour as a sign that the wine would be insipid; a view that could, on occasion, be justified with a number of early examples tending to be overly sweet and dull as dishwater.
Drinkers are now more adventurous and educated: the trend has moved to drier examples which are a far better accompaniment to the lighter meals and alfresco dining we enjoy in warmer times.
The new-vintage wines will soon be flooding the shelves: keep your fingers crossed for warm weather to match.
Price: $29.99
Rating: Fair
Quite delicate on the nose showing hints of strawberry.
Bright acidity on the palate with a crisp, steely note.
Dry with a good finish.
Clean and fresh, but relatively simple and straightforward.
Easy drinking.
Price: Around $30
Rating: Very good
Exuberant nose; hints of Juicy Fruit bubblegum, fruit jubes, strawberries and cream.
Softer in the mouth: a silky mouthfeel with good length.
Quite appealing style with fruit sweetness while remaining dry.
Price: $16.99
Rating: Very good
A little funkiness on first sniff gives way to watermelon.
More structure on the palate here with a little grip to it.
Quite an interesting wine, built on vinosity rather than overt fruit.
Fruit sweetness on entry, dry mid-palate with nice mouthfeel and good length.
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