HIGH above the city, in a corner of the green roof-garden atop the skyscraper that's home to the swish corporate H.Q. of hiredbelly.com, our garlic crop is just about ready for pulling.
Soon we'll be plucking the harvest from last October's planting and indulging in our first tasting of this year's crop.
It is one of life's sweetest moments: a taste of finely chopped, fresh garlic right from the garden (still quite mild, pre-curing), served simply, with diced, ripe tomato, on squares of toast, with a little cracked pepper.
Interestingly enough, those two prime ingredients, often as not, form the foundation for many a stellar Mediterranean dish, so it should come as no surprise that this year's inaugural taste will be accompanied by a rosé from Provence - of which there's now an abundant supply of 2010s at BCLS. It wasn't always that way. Time was when we had to wait too long for the current vintage.
But this year's clutch, on the people's purveyor's (and private) shelves now, yields plenty of current choice.
The other component that makes for perfect sipping is the long overdue, sultry summer weather that at least can conjure up thoughts of Provence, even if likely only fleeting.
Some may quibble, but Provence lays due claim to the ancestral home of rosé, a claim not easily dismissed as the region is dotted with the remains of Roman and pre-Roman settlement, dating from an era of the earliest known viticulture.
Often as not, while appealingly fruity these wines are less fruit-driven than some, though very definitely not shy on flavour, usually drier in style and very food friendly.
And they fare just as well as refreshing patio sippers as they do with a wide variety of summer plates.
So drink a toast to this year's garlic crop (or anything else you choose), or just drink a toast to summer, with one of these Cotes de Provence Rosés:
- Gassier Sables d'Azur 2010. Here's excellent value in a traditional, skittle shaped bottle, with up-front strawberry notes and, even if not hugely complex, a good balance of fruit and acidity with a juicy middle and clean, zesty end. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsaut. Think pan-seared albacore with couscous and fresh bean salad; BCLS $15.99.
- Chateau Miraval Pink Floyd Rosé 2010. Quite subtle and delicate up front with definite mineral notes on a more complex palate: hints of pear and citrus underpinned by firm acidity, with a long, slightly herbal and zesty close. Definitely up a notch, from one of the region's more celebrated estates. The rock icon name relates to the storied chateau's built-in recording studio, where many a legend (including Pink Floyd in 1979) has laid down tracks, presumably between sips. As to whether this Cinsaut-Grenache is worth the full $29.99 in B.C. tag, guess that depends on how much value is added by tasting a wine from the now Brangelinaleased estate.
- Les Quatre Tours Signature (Coteaux d'Aix en Provence) 2010. Still under $20, Grenache-Syrah-Cabernet blend yields some surprisingly complex layers of vibrant floral and ripe strawberry notes with a luscious middle and touch of zest. More juicy with a touch of mineral to close. Pour a glass and pretend you're back at the 2Gs, in Aix; $19.99 BCLS.
- Domaine Houchart Rosé Cotes de Provence 2010. Another 'skittle' bottle, the long running workhorse of the rosé section still delivers good value for money. Medium salmon coloured, with wild berry and citrus hints, well balanced palate with enough acidity to carry the fruit to a gently spicy end; $16.95 BCLS.
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