Perfectly Pink – Celebrating National Rosé Day, 5th February 2022

Rosé is New Zealand’s fastest growing wine variety, with sales doubling in recent years, and while it’s known as ‘summer in a glass’ – the perfect accompaniment to balmy summer BBQs and long lunches – this crowd-pleasing wine delivers all year round.

In 2019, more than one in ten bottles of wine consumed worldwide was a bottle of rosé, and while France still tops international production, closer to home rosé is now the fourth largest New Zealand wine export, exporting 7.9 million litres globally in 2021 - double that of 2018 when New Zealand exported 3.6 million litres of rosé.

Villa Maria produces a range of dazzling rosé styles, from fresh and fruity to savoury and textural, showcased in an instantly captivating variety of pink hues, from the typically lighter-bodied blush or peachy shades to darker vibrant and richer tones.

Made from an array of grapes including Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah, Rosé is created in a similar way to red wine – grown from red grapes but with less time macerating on the dark-coloured grape skins – giving it its recognisable pink colouring and lighter, crisper flavour profile.

This National Rosé Day take some pink-spiration and discover Villa Maria’s range of rosé wines from Marlborough and the Hawkes Bay and match them for your perfect moments.

Highlights from the Villa Maria Rosé range include:

• Villa Maria, Private Bin Hawkes Bay Rosé, $14.99 per bottle
  • With a lovely salmon pink colour, this Rosé displays bright floral aromas with flavours of strawberry, red fruits and spice, leading to a generous mouthfeel with a deliciously dry finish. Best served chilled and enjoyed on warm summer days with fresh alfresco fare - particularly perfect with smoked salmon and seafood.
• Villa Maria, Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé, $17.99 per bottle
  • Capturing summer in a glass but delicious all year-round, this Rosé has aromatics of freshly picked raspberries and strawberries combined with fresh herbs and delicate florals. The flavours on the palate are reminiscent of juicy watermelon and red cherries, finishing with crisp tartness of pomegranate seeds. There are plenty of excellent food matches for this gorgeously full-flavoured wine. Try bigger flavours such as olive, saffron or chorizo – a paella would be a fun pairing, as well as chargrilled lamb with herbs and other Mediterranean foods.
• Villa Maria EarthGarden Organic Hawkes Bay Rosé, $19.99 per bottle
  • Organically grown with wildflower gardens between the vineyard rows, the EarthGarden Rosé is bursting with flavour as nature intended. Delicate and deliciously dry with flavours of blood-orange, rosehip and watermelon. The dreamy, sun-soaked Hawkes Bay summer is captured in our organically grown Rosé. Enjoy this organic Rosé with a vibrant plant-based grazing board or smoked salmon.
• Villa Maria, Single Vineyard Organic The Attorney Pinot Noir Rosé - $29.99 per bottle
  • With aromas of bright red cherries intermingled with delicate rose petals and fresh culinary herbs, this Rosé is bursting with ripe strawberries with a creamy texture on the finish. This Rosé will work brilliantly with fulsome flavours. Try a seafood pasta such as crab and lemon linguine, or charry Barbecue flavours with mixed veggie skewers.

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