On June 21st, Los Angeles will experience its first ever La Nuit en Rosé event at SkyBar, atop the Mondrian Hotel in glamorous West Hollywood. The combination of sunshine, pool, and laid-back elegance make this location the perfect place to inaugurate what is sure to be a glamorous annual event highlighting the growing popularity of rosé in the US.
In order to highlight the complex variations among the Provençal wine producers, as well as encourage more wineries in the US to focus on rosé production, La Nuit en Rosé is a reflection of the whole lifestyle based on rosé. #roseallday and #roselifestyle are just two of the hashtags I’m sure you’ll see online in posts accompanying the events in NYC and LA. This is great news for French labels who want to take advantage of the growing popularity of rosé!
In preparation for the June 21st event, Bouquet told me about some of his top rosé picks. These are definitely the ones that I will be checking out first!
Château d’Esclans Garrus
This is the most expensive rosé on the market right now, and for good reason. It is produced more along the lines of a properly aged Bordeaux, allowing more bold rich flavors to shine through. It has a complex flavor, keeping the fruity notes that rosé is known for, but tempering some of the sweetness thanks to its aging process. It has been called the “best rosé in the world”.
Vie Vité
Another superb wine, this time from right outside the iconic French beach town of St. Tropez. It contains a mix of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre grapes. They were not able to be featured at the La Nuit en Rosé event last year in NYC but Bouquet is proud to present them this time around. The wine is a lovely light pinkorange color with an apricot taste and a dry finish. Very much looking forward to tasting this newcomer at the event.
Quivira Vineyards
Rounding out Bouquet’s top 5 rosés for the event is the Quivira Vineyards 2014 rosé wine. With a beautiful salmon color and delicate fruit flavors, this wine could be brought to a summer dinner party and fit right in. Quivira is located in the Healdsburg area of Sonoma in Northern California. According to the Quivira Vineyards website, “What we’ve determined at Quivira is the best rosés come from Rhone varieties, particularly Grenache. Using the traditional Rhone companions of Syrah and Mourvédre as well as Counoise adds richness and complexity.” This highlights the symbiotic relationship between French and American wine growers.
There are over 40 rosé wine producers expected to be present at the June 21st event. A list of the current participants can be found here. Surely, there will be something everyone can enjoy. And we can finally put to rest the idea that rosé is only for the ladies. My new philosophy? #roseallday!
Tickets are $125 for the VIP experience, including access to the VIP lounge with culinary offerings. Standard tickets are $75 which includes access to the wines, light buffet, pool, photo booth, DJ, and entertainment.
By Carolyn Breit, reporting in L.A for The Parisian Eye