In the current issue of New Orleans Magazine, our “Try This” included a rosé tasting. These tastings are not only informative, but also a perfect bachelorette or bachelor party idea.

Robert Haynes curates wine and spirit tastings to fit your needs, making the possibilities endless. He recently brought on weddings into the mix, giving brides and grooms alike a fun and exciting option for their celebrations. You could combine your and your betrothed’s parties or ask Haynes to curate two separate events for you.

Ask to have the location be food-friendly, or book reservations at a nearby eatery (with wine suggestions from Haynes, of course) to really complete the evening.

See the whole “Try This” article below and find out more information on Haynes and his company here.

Rosé All Day

A tasting of wine through rose-colored glasses

It’s said that “real men wear pink,” but do real men, and women, drink pink-colored wine? Robert Haynes of Tasting Tuesday and The Haynes Consulting Group thinks everyone should enjoy a little wine, especially rosé. “I personally like to think that rosé is a conversation piece,” Haynes said. “It’s one of the most approachable styles of wine and a year-round staple in New Orleans.”

When I first approached Haynes, after seeing his curated tastings popping up on social media, I had no idea that rosé would be the focus of our gathering. When he let us know that would be the theme, I realized just how little I knew about this type of wine.

“In the technical sense,” Haynes explained, “rosé comes from the actual skin of the red grape making contact with the juice of the grape.”
Our curated tasting at the Vintage Arts Center on Magazine Street included wines from throughout the world. For example, when we first arrived, just in time for happy hour, Haynes had a sparkling rosé from Graham Beck in South Africa.

The tasting began with Haynes giving a short introduction on himself, the process of making rosé and why it’s becoming more popular around the city. He described the seven types of rosé, the multitude of various flavors and colors you could find, and then we dove straight in to the four different rosés he had picked for us to try.

The first, and my personal favorite, was Domaine de la Bastide from the Rhone Valley of France. He noted that this and other rosés from Rhone all typically had a savory and fruit element. This particular one giving hints of peach. I think the fruity, light flavor is what made it most attractive to me.

The most exciting rosé to try was the Chateau Kefraya ‘Myst’ Rosé from Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. I have never tried wine from the Middle East and was intrigued by the different flavor opportunities this area could produce. “Rosés from this part of Lebanon have a really nice minerality to them,” Haynes said. “They are perfect to shuck some oysters with and have a glass or two.” It had a bite to it and was unlike any wine I have tasted before, with an unusal after-taste that I really liked.

The next two were Moulin De Gassac Guilhem from Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France and Casal Garcia from Portugal. Each were not a rosé I would turn down again – let’s be honest, I would never turn down a rosé – but they were personally less intriguing than the first two.

The entire tasting, from the location to the choice of wine, was a delightful experience that I cannot wait to try again. Haynes is intuitive and knowledgeable when it comes to the subject of wine and spirits, and you’re sure to walk away with a new favorite and a few fun facts and information you didn’t know before.

I recommend booking a tasting like this rosé tasting or other wines and spirits. Too often people order the wrong wine for them out of ignorance of the product. In a wine-loving city like New Orleans, it’s always a good idea to be knowledgeable about what drink suits your palate.

And yes, rosé was consumed in the making of this article.