Remy Pannier Rose d'Anjou 2016
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This wine is a delicious start to any meal and pairs well with cheeses, cold pasta salads, seafood and appetizers such as fried calamari and spinach/artichoke dip.
Blend: 50% Cabernet Franc, 40% Grolleau, 10% Gamay
Rémy Pannier has been identified with premium quality Loire Valley wines since 1885, when it was founded by François Rémy, who developed it into a prosperous local négoçiant concern, buying, blending, bottling and selling Loire Valley wines. François was succeeded by his son, Louis, whose wife, Marie Pannier, provided the second part of the company’s name. Louis, in turn, was succeeded by his son Maurice, an engaging, adventurous man who is credited with generating a widespread following for Rémy Pannier wines in France and the development of new markets abroad. Maurice’s heirs retained a stake in the company until selling it in early 2002.
Rémy Pannier’s headquarters are located at St.-Hilaire-St.-Florent near Saumur on the banks of the Thouet, a tributary of the Loire. Facilities include eight miles of underground cellars carved out from the chalk hills, an ideal environment for storing wine. Lead winemaker Karine Huibant, assisted by four full-time laboratory staff, oversees winemaking.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Praised for its stately Renaissance-era chateaux, the picturesque Loire valley produces pleasant wines of just about every style. Just south of Paris, the appellation lies along the river of the same name and stretches from the Atlantic coast to the center of France.
The Loire can be divided into three main growing areas, from west to east: the Lower Loire, Middle Loire, and Upper/Central Loire. The Pay Nantais region of the Lower Loire—farthest west and closest to the Atlantic—has a maritime climate and focuses on the Melon de Bourgogne variety, which makes refreshing, crisp, aromatic whites.
The Middle Loire contains Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. In Anjou, Chenin Blanc produces some of, if not the most, outstanding dry and sweet wines with a sleek, mineral edge and characteristics of crisp apple, pear and honeysuckle. Cabernet Franc dominates red and rosé production here, supported often by Grolleau and Cabernet Sauvignon. Sparkling Crémant de Loire is a specialty of Saumur. Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc are common in Touraine as well, along with Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and Malbec (known locally as Côt).
The Upper Loire, with a warm, continental climate, is Sauvignon Blanc country, home to the world-renowned appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Pinot Noir and Gamay produce bright, easy-drinking red wines here.