A Summertime Ode to Pink Wine and Watermelon

Since I’ve already espoused the virtues of dry rosé on this site, it should come as no surprise that I’ve been trying my fair share this summer.

And while it’s not available in my market (but available via this site), I managed to track down some of the EastDell Summer Rosé to try. At under $12 a bottle, it's a steal. It brings together red and white Ontario grapes in a simple, easy-to-drink summer pink wine, with plenty of red berry and watermelon notes front and centre on this light-bodied, off-dry, fun rosé. It’s sure to please as the mercury rises.

That watermelon note got me thinking about my favourite summer fruit (other than liquid fermented grapes), and how there’s a little bit of magic when you pair a rosé with watermelon.

In the dog days of summer, there’s no fruit I turn to more often (and with more enthusiasm) than watermelon. Maybe it’s because it’s not overly sweet, or maybe it’s just that it reminds me of carefree childhood summer days spent outside, but there’s a feeling of pure joy when tucking into a watermelon in summer.

In addition to being delicious on its own, watermelon also happens to work in an incredibly versatile group of recipes.

That watermelon isn’t overly sweet means it works beautifully in slightly more savoury dishes. A simple salad with watermelon and feta, such as Michael Smith’s deceptively simple recipe, goes to the next level with the addition of basil, mint, cilantro or even rosemary. (Watermelon does remarkably well with herbs.)

Looking for something a little more outside-the-box when it comes to watermelon? Check out the watermelon grilled cheese bites from Brit + Co, featuring watermelon instead of slices of bread and some Greek halloumi cheese tucked between. Add arugula and balsamic vinegar and you’re set. Summer!

Of course, chunked-up watermelon is the perfect addition to any fruit salad. Canadian Living’s watermelon fruit salad is deceptively simple but remarkably delicious, bringing the acidity of grapefruit into play to balance out the sweetness of raspberries. Heck, you could carve out a watermelon and use it as a bowl for family-style settings.

 

Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson paid his way through school hucking cases at wine shops. He’s now the weekly wine columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press, and judges at wine competitions across the country. He Tweets & Instagrams @bensigurdson.