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Varietal: Carignan
Old-vine Carignan grapes, fully ripened on infertile soils in a warm summer, produce by far the best Carignan wine. The key here is that yields have been restricted and there is enough ripe fruit character to mask the naturally high tannins and acidity.
Country: France
A country viewed by many as the home of fine wine, it is almost unique in terms of how embedded food and wine is in the nations culture. Given the diverse geography, with so much of the country providing the climate and soil suitable for viticulture, it is no surprise that its produces such an extensive and varied selection of wines. It is the country from where the vast majority of the New World's most popular "international" grapes and stylistic influences originate. While there might seem to be an alarming disparity between the most sought after wines (were a case might set you back as much as a deposit on a small house) and the millions of gallons of vin de table filling up the European wine lake every year, there is so much great value to be found between the two extremes. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and the Rhone may still dominate the market for fine wine, but regions including the Loire, Alsace, Languedoc & Roussillon and the South West are increasingly becoming excellent sources of good quality, affordable wines.
Region: Provence
Provence is a sun soaked region in the southeastern corner of France that stretches from the Mediterranean coastline to the southern end of the Rhone valley and across to the border with Italy. The largest area is the Cotes du Provence, where roughly 80% of all wines produced are dry rose, predominantly made from Cinsault and Grenache. A few serious wine producers are replanting vineyards with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in place of the ubiquitous Cinsault. Meanwhile the very small amount of white produced is made from Ugni Blanc and Clairette.
Sub-Region:
Type: Rose