Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/807384
46 / the tasting panel / april 2017 LINE EXTENSIONS W hen does a passing fad become a certified movement? Take rosé wines, for instance. Once an outré liquid fashion statement that meant the imbiber refused to conform to the "red or white" standard, rosé has skyrocketed in the past few years among a new generation of increasingly sophisticated wine drinkers (modern males most definitely included). These days, those sipping pink wine at a res- taurant bar get high fives, not raised eyebrows. According to a recent story in Fortune magazine, quality rosé has become as ubiquitous among Millennials as Chardonnay was among the Baby Boom generation—the go-to choice for casual quaffing as well as for pairing with meals. This is truer than ever as warm weather approaches. Enter a premium New Zealand rosé with in- glass appeal and on-palate charm. Kim Crawford, maker of the number-one-selling Sauvignon Blanc brand in the United States*, has just unveiled its newest offering : Kim Crawford Rosé (SRP $17.99). Formerly available only in select markets stateside, this crisp and delicious dry rosé is rolling out nationwide in the U.S. in April, complete with clean, catchy new packaging. "The rosé category is on fire, and we are thrilled to share Kim Crawford's unique expres- sion of this in-demand wine with our fans," says Julie Rossman, Global Marketing Director for Kim Crawford. "The extraordinary style of our Kim Crawford Rosé continues the brand's dedication to quality and innovation and delivers on our Undo Ordinary philosophy." Kim Crawford's wildly popular varietal wines have been consumer favorites with an ardent loyal following—read: repeat sales for retailers and by-the-glass bottom line bolstering for on-premise. Now following in the footsteps of the brand's perennially popular Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir is the ever-so-rosy Kim Crawford Rosé. Crafted from Merlot grapes from Hawke's Bay on New Zealand's North Island, Kim Crawford Rosé shows a lovely pale pink hue in the glass and delivers enticing notes of bright berry and tropical fruit on the nose. On the palate, the wine is dry (with just 4.5 g/L of residual sugar) but still juicy and luscious, with hints of summery watermelon, strawberry and melon. Appealing year-round as an aperitif, Kim Crawford Rosé is also an ideal summer sipper when paired, nicely chilled, with lighter warm-weather bites—think al fresco entertaining. The market-making Millennials have spoken: Rosé is here to stay, and with Kim Crawford Rosé there's even more reason to join the pink wine movement—now not just a trend but a tide. Kim Crawford is imported by Constellation Wines U.S. For more information, visit www.KimCrawfordWines.com. PHOTO COURTESY OF CONSTELLATION WINES U.S. KIM CRAWFORD ROSÉ JOINS THE BRAND'S LINE OF POPULAR VARIETAL WINES by David Gadd Warm Weather Wonder The new Kim Crawford Rosé rolls out nation- wide in April. *IRI 2016