Red White and Rosé

Where does it come from Which grapes are in the bottle? But the two questions they always ask me are how much is it, and where can they buy it.

Yet for some reason a lot of people who make wine and/or sell it often believe they will sell more of it if you know less about it, especially the price.

As mentioned last week, most private wine shops (except the consignment VQA stores) do not publish a price list. Even though private retailers complain it takes months to get a wine through the government controlled private system (how's that for an oxymoron), they are fond of telling me, "things change so fast we couldn't possibly publish a price list."

There are no price lists because then you might shop around or chances are another retailer might undercut their price and that would never do. Private retailers already specialize in wines that are not sold in government stores for maximum pricing flexibility -- again the less you know about the price, the better.

Restaurants can buy the same "speculative wines" direct from distributors, because you guessed it, with no government store prices to be compared with, they too are free to sell it for as much as they like, and believe me, the mark-up is hefty.

There's nothing illegal about any of this. It's simply a nasty side effect of a "private" retail system that has been remodelled more times than a Vancouver bungalow by special interest groups who talk free trade but prefer the murky world of privatized liquor sales in a monopoly environment. All of which brings us back to what you the consumer can do to protect yourself.

First, find a retailer you can trust and who will talk price and stick with him or her. Then push for legislation that would permit on-line wine sales and shipping anywhere in Canada. That would lower prices overnight. It would also solve the dilemma of how much is it, and where can we buy it.

Okay, now to today's wines, rosé: the coolest, or is that the hottest, wines of the season.

The latest Arrowleaf Red Feather 2006 hits all the right notes for the patio. The grapes are mostly pinot noir with a dash of chardonnay to lift the nose. The aroma is an earthy mix of strawberry and minerals. On the palate it is fresh and clean with candied, strawberry fruit flavours and, as is their style, there is just add enough sugar and acidity to keep your interest. A perfect summer patio wine again. Love the price. The La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux 2005 has an attractive pale raspberry colour thanks to the mix of grenache, shiraz, mourvèdre and cinsault grapes. Look for a very floral, fruity strawberry, mineral nose with streaks of citrus and rhubarb and a dry, round, earthy, floral, raspberry and sour cherry flavours. Good balance if a bit lean, now under screwcap which really lifts the fruit. The perfect luncheon wine.

Finally here for the summer is the Torres De Casta Rosé 2006. The Torres pink is a masterful blend of garnacha tinta and cariñena first made in 1941. The nose is clean and fresh, bursting with black raspberry and cherry scents. On the palate it is agreeably round and crisp with the perfect touch of sweetness. Floral raspberry fruit flavours hold your interest throughout. It would be perfect with a salade nicoise or corn on the cob. Great value too.

The Mionetto MO Sergio Rosé blends raboso and lagrein grapes into the perfect summer pink fizz. On the palate it's a refreshing mix of floral citrus, grapefruit and cherries. Grilled chicken would be a great fit but any pre dinner appetizers would be equally well received. Very hip packaging but we miss the easy to pop crown cap. The Joie wines continue to improve as evidenced by the Joie Pinot Noir Ros? 2006. This edition is fresher than the previous with bright, melon notes and a dash of pink grapefruit. The entry is soft with some obvious sugar but the acidity is lively and the flavours fresh. Drink all summer on the restaurant patio, which is about the only place you can buy it.

Therapy Vineyards Pink Freud 2006 wins the prize for the best name and the 60/30/10 blend of shiraz/merlot/pinot noir, cold soaked and then runoff after 24 hours; tastes good, too. Love the fresh, citrus berry fruit nose and flavours and the crisp palate. Lively, fresh and tasty, it's all you could want in an $18 rosé.

THERAPY VINEYARDS PINK FREUD 2006, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley
Price: $18 winery direct, private and VQA wine stores only
UPC: 854505001198
Score: 87/100
Remarks: Lively, fresh and tasty it's all you could want in an $18 rosé.