VTTI Customer Service Team
– Prepare for a Blind Date with Cypriot Rosé!
We’ll be kicking things off at Sherlock’s with a special pre-dinner activity :
A blind tasting game featuring some seriously delicious Cypriot rosés.
- 5:00 PM (17:00)
- at Sherlock's Home
- Mystery Wine Game
- Discover rare and exciting wines
- The tasting kit
- sommelier Host
Here’s what you need to know:
The Challenge: Put your senses to the test! You’ll be presented with a glass of rosé wine of unknown origin (the “mystery wine”). Then, you’ll taste four additional wines, one of which is identical to the mystery wine.
Your Mission: Using your taste buds, smell, and any acquired wine knowledge, identify the imposter! Discuss your observations with your teammates, share insights, and make those educated guesses.
The Reward: Bragging rights and a deeper appreciation for the unique flavors Cypriot rosés have to offer!
Tips for Tasting Success:
Don’t worry if you’re not a wine expert! Just come with an open mind and a sense of adventure.
Pay attention to the aromas and flavors. Swirl, sniff, and savor each sip.
Discuss your findings with your teammates. Two heads are better than one!
Beyond the Mystery: A Glimpse into the Wines
For those curious about the specific wines you will encounter, here are the intriguing rosé options to explore…
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AKTI, Lefkada - Mavro, Kyperounta Winery
Akti (“shore” in Greek). The point where the sea meets land. Akti Rose the wine where Lefkada grape (80%) meets Mavro. The wine where, on its nose, the ripe red and store fruit notes meets sweet spices and delicate herbaceousness. The wine where, on its palate, softness meets a bright acidity. The wine where elegance meets voluptuousness.
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ROSE, Black Muscat, by Nelion
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ANGEL'S, Xinisteri - Maratheftiko, by Tsangarides
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MAVROS(E) OKEANOS, Mavro- Rose. by Askon Art Wines
a clear, bright rose color. Intense aromas of red forest fruits with hints of rose, pomegranate, red grapefruit, hints of vanilla and wild herbs. Freshness and liveliness in the mouth with wonderful juicy fruit, balanced flavor and pleasant acidity.
A Little Rosé 101:
So, what’s up with rosé? It’s this awesome type of wine that gets its color from the grape skins, but not enough to be a red wine. Fun fact: it might actually be the oldest type of wine since it’s pretty simple to make using the skin contact method. The color can really vary, going from a light “onion skin” orange to a bold purple, depending on the grapes and how it’s made.
There are three main ways to make rosé: skin contact, saignée, and blending. Rosé can be made from a bunch of different grapes and shows up in wine regions all over the world.
Skin Contact
If the plan is to make rosé as the main event, it’s usually done with the skin contact method. You crush black-skinned grapes and let the skins hang out with the juice for a little while, usually two to twenty hours. After that, the grape juice gets pressed, and the skins are tossed out, unlike red wine where they hang around for the fermentation. The longer the skins are chilling in the juice, the deeper the color gets in the wine.
Saignée
If a winemaker wants a bit more tannin and color in their red wine, they might sneak out some of the pink juice early using the Saignée method (means “bleeding” in French). This process concentrates the red wine left in the vats since the juice volume decreases, making it richer. And that pink juice? It gets fermented on its own to create some nice rosé.
Blending
Mixing red wine into white wine to get that pretty color isn’t common and was usually a no-go in many wine-growing regions, especially in France, where it’s pretty much against the rules, except for Champagne.
