Odd Bacchus

Guests arriving at Six Senses Zighy Bay, a resort on the coast of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, can descend the mountains to the hotel by road, or, for those inclined to flinging themselves off a cliff strapped to nothing but a piece of fabric and a Bulgarian fellow, by paraglider. I found myself in the latter camp the day we arrived, and after catching an array of “awesome thermals” followed by a death-spiral descent to the beach, a drink seemed to be in order.

I later learned that the resort tries to avoid “common labels” when stocking their cellar, so it comes as no surprise that the house rosé was something unusual — a 2010 Fantail Pinotage Rosé from South Africa’s Stellenbosch region.

Now, I have long tried to like Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (also known as Hermitage), but I usually find them rather off-putting. It’s been a while since I’ve had one, to be honest, but I recall an overheated quality, with notes of heavy red meat that weren’t to my taste. It was a bit of a relief then, to read Tom Stevenson argue in The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia that Pinotage “does not have half the potential of either [Zinfandel or Shiraz].”

But the variety certainly worked in this particular rosé. It had an herbal, almost oregano-like nose, and bright, fruity flavors giving way to some spiciness and a minerally finish. I liked the journey this rosé took me on — just the antidote for the more adventurous journey I had just undertaken.

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Although Allah frowns on the consumption of alcohol, so I hear, I did manage to sneak a few glasses during my trip to Dubai and Oman. In that hot, dry climate, I found myself regularly drawn to juicy rosés.

One afternoon, I sat down to a light Persian lunch of lentil-studded meatballs with pomegranate sauce and herb salad at a restaurant called Anar, set in the Souk Madinat Jumeirah. I ordered the one rosé on the menu, a 2010 Sauvion “Chemin des Sables” Rosé d’Anjou from France’s Loire Valley.

Rosé d’Anjou sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t remember ever trying one. The color of a watermelon Jolly Rancher, it tasted fruity and fun, taking on an extra tang with the meatballs. I didn’t feel moved to deep contemplation, but it was a satisfying choice for a sunny al fresco lunch.

I later went to Jancis Robinson’s Oxford Companion to Wine to research Rosé d’Anjou. She doesn’t pull any punches, calling it “sickly.” Tom Stevenson’s Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia takes a more gracious tone, tepidly arguing that “There is nothing intrinsically wrong with a wine that happens to be pink with some sweetness.” It seems Rosé d’Anjou is the White Zinfandel of the Loire Valley!

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I’ve written about poorly organized wine lists before, but until now, I haven’t felt moved to remark on a particularly well done wine list. Apparently, it took traveling to Muscat, the capital of Oman, to find one worthy of note!

Our first night, we dined at a hilltop Indian restaurant called Mumtaz Mahal. Because I was worried that jet lag, alcohol and a rental car wouldn’t mix, I didn’t drink any wine, but I did marvel at the restaurant’s list. Here, on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula — a region not exactly known for wine appreciation — was one of the better wine lists I’ve ever encountered:

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After visiting some wineries in California’s Amador County, we headed to the town of Placerville to dine at Z-Pie, dedicated to serving creative pot pies. But before we dug into our pots of golden, flaky goodness, I spied a wine bar/shop which offered inexpensive tastings. It turned out to belong to a local winery called Synapse.

In their chic tasting room, samples aren’t complimentary as they are in the other wineries we visited, but the fee is waived if you purchase a bottle or two. I liked the look of the place, and I had yet to try a local Syrah, a varietal appearing several times on the menu.

I picked the oldest of the lot, a 2005 Synapse Syrah ($18). This wine, unlike many I had tasted earlier in the day, actually took me on a journey. A cherry, almost Robitussin-like aroma gave way to flavors of black pepper, some tangy fruit and pleasant finish of vanilla. I made my first purchase of the day.

On a whim, I tried the 2010 Synapse Rosé Noir ($17), a rosé made from local Syrah. Surprised by the wine’s very deep pinkish purple hue, I exclaimed, “Wow, that’s really dark for a rosé.”

“Oh yes,” the Synapse representative replied. “You know, last year’s was actually even darker, because we were all watching a football game. We got really into it and forgot about the rosé, and left it on the [grape] skins longer than planned.”

I had a feeling this would be my kind of rosé.

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