Pink wine has come a long way since the White Zinfandel craze of yesteryear. Slowly but surely, the elegant, dry, crisp rosés from southern France and other historic European locales have reemerged from obscurity and into the proverbial sunshine again! Now, a year- round option and a great food wine, the category has exploded. With all of the choices, let's explore two of the ORIGINAL rosé wines that inspired the movement and have been made the same wine, with the same grapes for centuries. With the 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' attitude, we present two amazing rosé wines from Provence(ish), France and Bardolino, Italy.

In Provence, making rosé has been a way of life since ancient times. Starting in 600 BC, Greek traders from Phocaea brought their pale wines and viticulture techniques to the area. During the subsequent Roman occupation, they recognized the region's confluence of idyllic wine making conditions and further developed the viticulture and wine making techniques. Realizing the area's value, the Romans claimed it as 'Provincia Romana ' (The Roman province), which evolved into 'Provençal'. Fun fact: Provence was the first Roman Provence outside of Italy! That should tell you something about the quality of the wine.

The rise in popularity and demand of Provence rosés in recent years has inflated the prices of rose to non- democratic levels. AOC standards of grape restrictions, yield levels and other AOC regulations limit winemaker's capacities for making delicious pink wine for the world to enjoy. Their answer: IGP Méditerranée. The Indication Géographique Méditerranée is a regional designation that not only includes the Provence AOCs but also stretches along the entire Mediterranean French coast. Including Corsica! This allows winemakers to celebrate the vast network of Mediterranean terroirs on which hectares upon hectares of vines are grown. Not only do these wines utilize the bounty of varietals that are indigenous to these lands, but also allow winemakers to get creative in the expressing profiles not allowable in Provence. In essence, the IGP Méditerranée is the whimsicle, artistic side and more affordable sister of Provence rosé!

Winemaking at the Commanderie de Peyrassol in Provence dates back to 1256 when the Knights Templar built and controlled the Commanderie. Provence rosé wines have been made at the estate continuously, and adheres to an organic farming regimen. The Peyrassol La Crois Rosé is an expression of the estate's IGP vineyards that is a more accessible expression of true Provence rosé.