Pink Wine at the Pink Broom

Each year at the start of the curling season, our league holds the Pink Broom, a fun bonspiel (or funspiel as we dyed-in-the-wool curlers call them) as an opportunity to meet'n'greet other curlers in the league. Since the PRCL is one of the biggest leagues in the Vancouver area - 40 teams of gay curlers (who knew?!) - there can be a lot of faces that you never play against or even meet. Even if you religiously head up to the bar after your game.

There has been a Pink Broom, in one form or another, for more than 25 years and it is likely the most social - and least competitive - event of the year. Everyone is encouraged to Think Pink - from costumes to prizes - and that call is taken to heart. All curlers play four shortened games (only four ends) and the teams are completely re-mixed after every game.

The curling rink is NOT generally associated with a lot of wine consumption - even with a crew like our league. It's a different story when talking beer, but I doubt the rink goes through a case of wine a week. If that.

I thought, however, that, to keep in theme, this was the perfect opportunity for a pink wine.

643. 2009 Kim Crawford Pansy! Rose (New Zealand)

If a Rose was the perfect wine for this event, the Kim Crawford was going to be the perfect pink. Their website even announces that "this wine was made for our friends in the gay community in thanks for their support of our wines." Originally conceived and marketed for the Sydney Mardi Gras and its known inclination for imbibing (much like the Pink Broom), I've had a soft spot for Kim Crawford and its Pansy! from the first time I saw and tasted it. It also doesn't hurt that it's a nice little wine as well.

In fact, Pansy! was the only non-BC wine that we served at Boo's and my 10th Anniversary/Wedding Party a couple of years back. It made perfect sense to me. Hot summer day. Fresh, cheeky wine.

Since I was blogging the wine this time, I checked the website and was intrigued to learn that Merlot is the base varietal for the wine (with a bit of Cab Franc and/or Malbec also thrown in) and that the winery uses the saignee method. That's where they "bleed" or run off up to 25% of the crushed juice before it starts to ferment. The winemaker stated that, because of New Zealand's cool climate they often need to intensify their Bordeaux red varieties. After this process, the original juice develops into a fuller wine and the juice that is bled off results in a whole new Rose.

Method aside, I say "Bravo!" to the marketing department and "Cheers" to the Pansy!" I have a feeling the winery would see our event as a good fit.

The wine must have done me some personal good on the day. I got quite the big surprise when they were announcing the awards and prizes. My curling didn't exactly earn me "top skip" marks at the bonspiel, but my Pansy!-enhanced play did win me the "Miss Congeniality" trophy for the event. And, guess what, the prize was another bottle of pink wine. It wasn't Pansy! but that bottle will no doubt make The List in short time as well.