Rose Wines
Rose wines have had an image problem to overcome, thanks in part to the consumer’s concept of "White Zinfandel," as many consumers mistake Rose wines to be overly sweet and cheap. Actually, the sales of Rose are on an upward swing. Once tragically uncool, Rose wine is now officially hip; even Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are in on the action with their recent purchase of a vineyard in France. Brad and Angelina’s release of their Miraval Rose, all 6,000 bottles, initially sold out within six hours.
You may not know that Rose wines are made from dark skinned grapes or red grape varietals like Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and even Zinfandel. Winemakers typically use a technique to produce Rose by preventing the red grape skins having extended contact time with the freshly pressed juice. These results attribute to the wine’s light pink to salmon hues which come from the short contact time. Rose wines are made practically everywhere wines are produced, including the US, France, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, and California where they make quite a bit of Rose.
Dry Rose wines are perfect for spring and summer, but more and more, people are turning to Rose for year round wine. Its style, traditionally dry, light and refreshing, appeals both to white and red wine drinkers seeking something cool and refreshing to help beat the heat. These wines can be light to medium in body. The flavors of Rose wines tend to lean towards strawberry, cherry and raspberry with some even leaning towards watermelon. One of my wife’s favorites is Francis Ford Coppola Sophia Rose, Monterey County, California, which is a tribute to his only daughter. The bottle is uniquely shaped too!
Rose should be served chilled, and can be a refreshing accompaniment to a variety of warm weather fare as they are versatile and food friendly. The food pairing possibilities for Rose are almost endless: chicken, cold vegetables, salads, seafood, BBQ and pork. Rose can also be a perfect aperitif.
Give Rose a try. The vast majority offer a very good wine value at a reasonable price (under $20 dollars).
Don’t be afraid of Rose! Until next time, cheers!
