Winemaker Notes
MIMI is an affectionate Provenial nickname and a common term of endearment. The "MIMI en Provence" brand was created by Vins Breban company in December 2014. Highlighting the winemaking expertise of Vins Breban, MIMI en Provence is the product of only the best rose wines produced in partnership with different provençal wineries. The presentation of the wine is marked its elegant bottle, its distinctive glass stopper.
Vins Breban is one of the last family owned companies producing artisanal sparkling and still wines in the South of France. The House of Breban Wines ("Vins Breban") has been producing and supplying a wide range of wines of varying styles and aromas to restaurants and retail distributors since 1952. The grand-father, Raymond, started elaborating sparkling wine in his garage in 1942. He has then decided to add a full range of wines from Provence. Since that time, two generation have been managing the company with the same passion and philosophy for quality.
Cotes de Provence is an extensive but valuable appellation that includes vineyards bordering the main Provencal appellations. Its sites vary from subalpine hills, which receive the cooling effects of the mountains to the north, to the coastal St-Tropez, a region mainly influenced by the warm Mediterranean sunshine.
Here the focus is on quality rosé, as it defines four fifths of the region’s wines. Following in the rosé footsteps, a lot of new effort is going into the region’s red production as well. A new generation has turned its focus on high quality Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan. Cotes de Provence white wines, which represent a miniscule part of the region as far as volume, are nonetheless worthy of consideration and can include any combination of Clairette, Semillon, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino.
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.