Rosemount O: The chilled wine for the summer months

Adding ice to wine -- it seems like the sort of thing the wine snobs would tip their noses up at and snort in derision. But Australian vineyard Rosemount has developed a new type of wine that's actually meant to be enjoyed with ice. And lots of it.

Rosemount O is the first wine in Singapore that's served over ice -- the name "O" comes from zero degrees and "Over" ice. Which makes a lot of sense considering the curse of the Southeast Asian heat and humidity. Rosemount claims that it has "the allure of having all the benefits of wine but with guaranteed extreme refreshment served over ice," and it's not far from the truth. CNNGo tried the new varietal and it does still taste like a good sparkling wine, but the ice part of things takes some getting used to. Like drinking beer with ice, something that's done in coffee shops all over Singapore but scoffed at by beer drinkers the rest of the world over.

Rosemount O has lower alcohol (8 percent) and 50 fifty percent of the bubbles of Champagne so it's not a true bubbly per se, but rather something in between. It's widely promoted in the fashion circles, with Rosemount being the annual title sponsor of the Roesmount Fashion Festival in Sydney as well as the official wine label at Audi Fashion Festival 2010 in Singapore. "Rosement’s collection of stylish wines, including its 'couture' tier called Rosemount Show Reserve, will be showcased at this year’s festival, and the new fashions in wine will be released for the fall and winter seasons," says Samuel Phan, regional marketing manager at Foster’s Asia (the Singapore distributor for Rosemount).

Rosemount O is a blend of Muscat Gordo and White Frontignac, and the best way to enjoy a Rosemount O is to fill a chilled long glass two thirds with ice and pour over 100ml of the wine.

Rosemount has also developed some cocktail-esque drinks based on the O label. Our favorite is the Stardust, which is 15ml strawberry puree, a fresh strawberry, two pieces of fresh calamari and a dash of silver dust (hence the name). It's fruity, cold and quite refreshing.

If you're intrigued by the wine, Rosemount O is available from Market Place Stores at S$45 (Jasons The Gourmet Grocer, Tanglin Market Place, Paragon Market Place, Jasons Market Place, Market Place @ one-north and ThreeSixty Market Place), and is also served at various bars/outlets in Singapore, including Harry’s, One Degree 15 Club and Madam Saigon.

For more details on the Rosemount O label, click down to www.rosemountestate.com.au.