Long before rosé was a lifestyle, the most celebrated rosé wines in the world came from Tavel, an ancient village in the heart of France’s Southern Rhône Valley. Tavel is by nature boutique in scale. In 2023, the appellation’s 34 wineries produced just over 4 million bottles of wine. The region’s wines are defined by an extended maceration on grape skins before fermentation. Contact with grape skins give Tavel more color but also more flavor extract, texture and tannins.
Tavel is wholly unique among other rosé wines. With medleys of regional grapes like grenache, cinsault, mour-vèdre and syrah (white grapes like clairette and grenache blanc too), Tavel is more than just pink, it’s the kind of wine that bleeds sunset hues of coral, magenta and crimson. 10 Tavel wines to sample this summer, include Château d’Aqueria’s 2023 Tavel and Château La Nerthe’s 2022 Prieuré de Montézargues Tavel.
Excerpt Taken From: The Chicago Tribune
Author: Anna Lee Iijima
