Tonight we gathered at the Vancouver Rowing Club, located in Stanley Park, for a sneak peek of summer with rosé.
I have never been to the rowing club before, but made sure to be there right at the start of the event, to be able to take in its on the water view. This rental event space made the perfect venue for this intimate tasting of award-winning AlX Rosé. This was intentionally done ahead of the long-awaited rosé season, paired with locally crafted artisanal chocolates. On top of tasting, guests also had the exclusive opportunity to pre order limited large formats of AlX Rose including 3L, 6L and the rare 15L from the upcoming 2025 vintage.
The name “AlX” pays homage to Provence’s most celebrated terroirs. High up in the hills, just north of Aix-en-Provence, away from the heat of the coast, there is set of ancient stone gates. Beyond them lies the Maison Saint Aix estate. Here, the winery is dedicated to capturing the essence of its iconic terroir in a single premium rosé. AlX is created to be the purest possible expression of what a rosé wine can be.
Intentionally light in colour with a fresh, aromatic nose. We got notes of stone fruit, citrus, and wild berries. It has an elevated mouthfeel and extending length, while maintaining bright freshness and crispness. It was approachable and easy drinking, the type of rosé that would have you finishing the bottle without realizing it. It quenches thirst while making your thirsty at the same time. An excellent patio rosé, and one that I would recommend to a non-wine drinker.
It is so versatile that the bar team even made it into a cocktail. This is a ross cordial with older vintages of our featured rosé cooked down with strawberry, salt, and vanilla. This is then mixed with vodka, lemon juice, soda water, and thyme. The cocktail was just as personable as the wine itself.
The night was spent in indulging in both with top ups at the bar. This we accompanied with charcuterie for grazing and our above mentioned chocolate for a sweet end to the evening.
I have never had a rosé and chocolate pairing before, but Melody of Oenomel Chocolate did a fantastic job, offering three different ways to go about it. Either bright and delicate by pairing AIX Rosé with her Raspberry 40% White Chocolate bars. With this combo the rosé lifts the natural tartness of raspberry for a refreshing opening pairing. Or you could go floral and indulgent, having Oenomel’s Maca Rose 75% Dark Chocolate bar enhance the rosé’s structure, while floral notes echo it. We liked the last pairing of creamy and comforting the most. Here, AIX Rosé came together with Strawberry Hazelnut 55% Milk Chocolate. The wine’s juicy fruit tones with gentle acidity balanced out the richness of milk chocolate for a smooth finish.
In short, this was a fun night and a great way to get better acquainted with AIX Rosé.
