It seems rather odd to head out on a cold, wintery Melbourne night to sample some of Vin de Provence’s finest rosés’ at Rendez-Vous in Provence. My Plus One and I braved the bitter weather and headed to North Melbourne, where Under One Roof and Two Ton Max did a marvellous job in creating a bright, summery French atmosphere in which we could submerge ourselves.
As we entered, we were presented with the scene of a cute peach coloured vintage style papillionaire bicycle set against the white walls and summer foliage. The walls beyond were lined with 16 of the regions passionate (well, they are French) premium winemakers and producers. The centre table was appropriately stocked with a hansom variety of cheeses. Each wine producer obviously had their rosé’, yet there were a couple of glorious reds and crisp whites. As we were to find out in the Masterclass, the proportions of the rosés on offer reflected that which from the area – around 90%.
The Masterclass itself, presented by the Provence Wine Council, was a fabulously informal affair. We were quickly educated about the region and the expertise that those in the region had developed in making arguably the world’s finest rosés’. And the work is paying off. Rosé is being consumed in exponential proportions as more and more people become aware of the varieties. Following, we were provided with more cheese and three rosés’ to try. Ranging from the subtle to the almost punchy (my favourite) we were simply asked to see what we thought as three sommeliers were on hand to guide our palates.
For a short period on a chilly Melbourne night, summer did not seem quite so far away. As we stepped outside however, reality hit. I am just not sure how to get that feeling back. I think I’ll have to crank up the heating to enjoy a chilled rosé, or simply jump on a plane and take one of those bicycles on a tour of the region. Either way tonight was inspiration indeed.
-Duncan
Duncan was the most eligible bachelor in town, but times have changed, although he is still a purveyor of Melbourne’s surprising, quirky, and cultural events.
