A Whole Lotta Rose

Yet as a true nerd of pink wines, I hold out hope that it will remain uncool enough for the masses to not over-commercialize these great dry, light-bodied wines that cool the summer heatwaves and free pretense from my weekday in-home burgerfests and pizza parties for one in front of TV, Netflix binging in my La-Z-Boy®.

What does it mean to be a rosé?  Well, a rosé is a wine that utilizes some of the pigmentation from the skin through slight skin contact to give it just enough color to be pink in hue or something similar thereof, but not enough to classify it as a red wine/  The end result can be achieved by one of three methods:

• Saignée – This process (Saignée is French for “to bleed” is the method of removing (or “bleeding off”) some of the juice from the leftover grape must to garner more concentration, more grip and more intensity of color and flavor.
• Vin Gris – This is where the red grapes have been pressed right away without any maceration with the skins.  Though the name means “grey wine” the resulting juice will appear slightly-pink or salmon in color.
• Decolorization – This practice is used much less than in years passed, and occurs when a winemaker simply adds the juice of red grapes to white wine.

At least in our store, the strategy has been to focus on the rosés of France, particularly the Provence, Rhone and Loire, though we’ve had some great ones sneak in from Oregon, Washington State, Chile and yes, California.  But to give you a bit of background, here are the major sources of French rosé:

France is most notable for its rosés, and there are several rosé AOCs for which to be aware:

• Provence
  • Cotes du Provence
  • Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence
  • Coteaux Varois
  • Bandol
  • Bellet
• Rhone
  • Tavel
  • Chateauneuf-du-Pape
  • Gigondas
  • Vacqueryas
  • Bellet
• Loire
  • Rose d’Anjou
  • Cabernet d’Anjou
  • Rose de Loire

Dry rosé (of which White Zinfandel and White Merlot are not part of this group of wines, that is an entirely other story altogether) is arguably one of the best food wines around.  It pretty much holds up to anything, and provides an unpretentious, uncomplicated accompaniment to chicken, seafood, even steak.  I once paired roasted lamb shank with Montes Cherub, a great Chilean blush of up-until-recently, 100% Syrah, that married beautifully.  It has great acidity, bright fruit and the perfect subtext for Monday night leftovers, or pretty much anything else.

A couple of my perennial favorites:

Bookwalter Scarlet Hex Flame 2016.  A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, this delicious, dry rosé from my friend John Bookwalter and the infamous Conner-Lee Vineyard, this wine takes me back to the first time I had it, on my solo roadside adventure across Washington State.  Pretty strawberry and rhubarb notes with hints of cherry and rose petal in abundance.

Ferrandiere Grenache Gris 2016.  This beautiful little value from the South of France has become a go-to for those looking for good rosé under $10.  Light, airy and kissed with nuances of cherry and red berry fruits, it’s perfect for just relaxing on the deck on a gorgeous summer day.

Sokol Blosser Rosé of Pinot Noir 2016.  Beautiful rose color with light yet juicy red and black cherry aromas and flavors, hints of red flowers, pomegranate and light spices.  I really love this rosé.

Sainte-Marguerite Rosé 2016.  There is noticeable depth of character here in this higher-end rosé from Cotes du Provence.  Present is loads of orchard fruit, citrus, red flower, mineral and hints of blanched almond and light spice.  It’s a very pretty, elegant and seductive rosé.

Domaine Lafond Tavel 2016.  One of our favorites from the Southern Rhone, this blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah displays nuanced red fruits, floral and mineral components.  

Mercer Rosé Spice Cabinet Vineyard 2016.  A single vineyard 100% Grenache Rosé from the Horse Heaven Hills in Washington State tastes of pomegranate, Bing cherry and white tea.  It’s light and refreshing, and easily one of our many newfound favorites this year.

A lot of the rosés we have in stock are limited and going quick.  Drop in and try a few soon!