FLC April - Spring Starter Pack

It’s April, and that means it’s spring – even if the weather hasn’t fully received the message lately in Ireland! Hopefully by the time you’re are digging into April’s case, the new season wines are being enjoyed outside. If the weather isn’t suitable for al fresco sipping, then these bottles will still put you in that laid-back, warmer weather mindset. Our featured wine is a Californian rosé, Summer Water. The name says it all, and it’s not one to be whispered.

Here's what you need to know about Summer Water:

Rosé is the quintessential warm weather wine, and its popularity has boomed in recent years. It’s the type of wine that seems to appeal to everyone and transcends the ‘I only drink white/red’ divide. A bottle of rosé never goes amiss at an outdoor meal and is quite generous with its food pairing – it works with a huge array of food, and it’s often a style we turn to when serving those cuisines that are traditionally tricky to pair with wine, such as sushi and spicy dishes.

The most popular style of rosé is the pale, dry, crisp style of Provence. While Provence got the ball rolling, many other wine regions are producing wine in this style, and we have a US one that we really love and wanted to share with our FLC members – Summer Water.

Summer Water is one of the biggest new rosés to hit the US, and we are excited to launch it in Ireland. After Summer Water’s 2019 Vintage was named the top rosé on Wine Enthusiast’s list of 100 Best Wines in 2020, the Summer Water 2021 vintages went on to earn a 91-point score and editor’s choice. The 2021 vintage was one of the more interesting vintages winemakers saw in California in a long time. Due to cooler than average summer temperatures and the absence of the normal August/ September heat waves, the growing season was extremely protracted. This meant that flavours were able to develop slowly and become more concentrated at lower sugar levels. Acid levels were also naturally retained. There was no pressure to pick which is a very rare and special occurrence for a winemaker. The result was a wine with very concentrated flavours, great acidity, and lower alcohol which is ideal for a rosé.

Summer Water rosé is a no-brainer option for your next chilled out event. Ideally we will be in barbecue weather and you can bring along, but if that’s not possible, we recommend that you crack open Summer Water with a casual, flavourful meal., Summer Water will work with pretty much anything – Mexican food, mezze boards, sushi, charcuterie and cheese boards, curries… it’s a wine to have fun with!