Rosé , The Perfect Summer Wine
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 07:37PM 
What is your favorite Summer wine? That question has an easy answer for me. The answer is Rosé . Why Rosé you ask? Well because its fresh, crisp, has great minerality, pairs well with light Summer food, looks good and chicks dig it. Any other questions? But Rosé you might say, brings to mind insipid pink jug wines with names like Gallo and Taylor. Or isn't it 'white zinfindel' that your mom likes to drink? Or even worse, wait for it, Pink Chablis? No. Its not.
Rosé wine, as it is known in France or America (rosado in Spain or rosato in Italy), all refer to a color ranging from deep salmon to a translucent pale pink produced by removing the skins of red grapes before the full color is imparted. As far as I know, 'pink chiblis' is made by adding food coloring to bad white wine. Rose is produced from venerable veriatials such as Pino Noir, Grenache, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Usually, the skins of a red grape are allowed to have brief contact with the grape juice. The shorter the contact time with the skins, the lighter the wine's color will be. And the longer, the more fruit forward it will be as well. But most Rosé is dry. The taste will be a lighter version of the veriatial that it is produced from. Though best when drunk young, the making of Rosé is an art unto itself and one should not be lulled into a wrong perception that because its pink and young it is shallow and 'light' in a subjective sense. Its not.
The flavors can be as complex as any great wine with hints of lemon, strawberry, grapefruit, cherry, and mushroom. And underlying all, especially with French Rosé is a delicious minerality that brings to the mouth cold wet stones and chalky earth. They are, as has been written, the "sophisticated summer sisters of many red wine varietals".
Now, as has been stated, Rosé comes in all shades of pink. But my favorite is usually the pale variates, usually from France and usually from the Côtes de Provence appellation. Two prevailing qualities are found in the Côtes de Provence – limestone in the Northwest and crystalline in the Southeast. This is what gives this wine the delicious minerality that puts the C in crisp. %80 of all wine made in this provence is Rosé. As Randy Kemner, the owner of my favorite wine store, The Wine Country, in Signal Hill Ca said to me, "Côtes de Provence, because of its climite, rocky hills and limestone, doesn't produce the great reds but for some reason makes the most exquisite Rosé". The wines from this provence tend to be paler, dryer and more complex.
So what does it pair with? Rosé is best when served cold. Especially if its a hot afternoon! Duh! And that is the thing, it is an afternoon and early evening wine. It goes great with fish, chicken, shellfish, and grilled meats. Even hamburgers. But it goes especally well with a variety of cheeses and crispy baguette. Grapes as well. I made a lunch of Spanish chorizo, thin ham, cheeses and olives and the crisp fruity Rosé cut through the salty meats like budda! I've had it with mussels and fries, grilled salmon, clams and pasta and guess what? All by itself after a day's work!
Many specialty wine stores are getting the message and stocking Rosé. It seems to me that in Southern California, this trend was started by The Wine Country, whose French buyer started their 'Rosé tower' a few years ago. Every Spring they order many different Rosés and put them in a giant stack in the middle of the store. And actually there are so many good ones that it makes choosing one rather difficult! But that's ok, its half the fun. Also one other advantage to Rosé is that its relatively cheap! You can actually get a good one for under $10 and most run from $12 to $20, up to around $40 for a Domaine Tempier Bandol which is I suppose, the Dom Perignon of Rosé.
Try it, you'll love it! You can order Rosé from The Wine Country at http://www.thewinecountry.com/ .
Reader Comments (2)
While technically not dessert wines, on a hot summer’s day, I prefer lighter, fresher aromatic white wines, with moderate levels of residual sugar. Some examples are Italian Moscato d’ Asti , Clos du Bois Malvasia Bianca (only sold at the winery), and even some sweeter German Rieslings or Alsatian whites. Because these wines have less sugar and they are lighter in body, they pair beautifully with fresh fruit and lighter desserts.
Well that is a matter of taste. I like those as well however what I love about rose is it's clean minerality and the fact that they are made from the same grapes as the finest reds. The price isn't bad either!