In honor of the holiday that kick starts grilling season, I have picked a rosé to review that even Dad can enjoy. Assuming he’s willing to put down that can of Olympia “it’s the water” in his hand.
La Kiuva is a co-op of 60 growers in a very interesting part of Italy, the Aosta Valley located amongst the mountains of Northern Italy bordered by France and Switzerland. Nebbiolo is the main grape variety grown, along with Neyret, and Gros Vien.
This rosé by La Kiuva is a blend of all three and has a light red hue. It has a refreshing crisp taste and a subtle lingering taste of raspberries. What makes this rosé amazing however, is its ability to pair with red meat so well but not make it feel heavy. Which is exactly what you want when you are grilling in the heat of the summer. Although La Kiuva’s Arnad Montjovet (a red that can work amazingly chilled) also pairs lovely with grilled meats. It brings out an entirely different flavor profile, one that plays more on the earthy and sharpness of flavors, something you may enjoy, but perhaps not when it’s 90˚ out. The rosé de vallée however highlights more of the sugars, almost a caramelization of the grill marks. This is even more apparent if grilling vegetables as well, which is why I highly recommend this wine with kabobs. The sugar, salt, and vinegar of a marinade meld beautifully. This wine can even handle the heat of added pepper.
Try it out this summer when you fire up the grill with some beef, lamb, or pork and see what you think.
