For years, rosé has suffered a bad rap from wine drinkers who confuse it with the sweet tasting White Zinfandel. While White Zinfandel has many good qualities, it is a far cry from the intoxicating flavors and aromas of the many rosé wines that are now being produced throughout the world. A true rosé is characterized by its off-dry flavor and a delicious bouquet of raspberries and strawberries. And while many people consider rosé a summer patio wine, I start to enjoy it most at the start of fall.
While rosé has always been loved throughout the world, Americans have often stayed away from what they refer to as “pink” wine because of the association with the very sweet White Zinfandel. But that’s changing. With a 50% surge in dry rosé sales in the United States, Americans are finally discovering that they like the off-dry style and flavors of rosé wines.
Rosé is an extremely food friendly and versatile wine that pairs with a wide array of foods. Depending on the weather, or your meal, rosé can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature. These days you can find rosé made from almost any varietal – although the most popular tend to be Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache and Sangiovese. And you can also find rosé made throughout the world. In Italy, it’s called rosato, in Spain rosado. The French make a significant amount of rosé wine and you’ll hear it called both rosé and vin gris, which literally means “gray wine”.
So how exactly do you make a rosé wine? Although it’s common belief by some that a rosé wine is made by blending a white wine with a red wine, this is a practice that is forbidden is most wine producing countries of the world. A rosé wine is typically made by crushing red wine grapes and leaving them on the skin for a very short period of time – at most 24 hours. If you leave them much longer, you’ll have a red wine. The skins are then removed rather than being left in the juice throughout fermentation. The result is a delicate, dry wine with a light red or pink color.
For more information about rosé wines, check out the web site for the Rosé Avengers and Producers (RAP). RAP is an international group “dedicated to righting the wrongs done to dry rosé”. www.rapwine.com
Recommended Wines
Etude Rosé – One of my favorite Napa Valley producers of rosé wine is Etude Wines. Sourced from estate vineyards in the Carneros Region, they make a fabulous Rosé of Pinot Noir ($20). If you can find it, you should also try their Fortitude Rosé ($15) made from a little known grape called Valdiguie. www.etudewines.com
SoloRosa Rosé – Another Napa Valley rosé that is made from a blend of mostly Sangiovese with a touch of Syrah ($17). SoloRosa is the only winery in the United States that was founded on making dry rosé. The Sangiovese comes from grapes grown high on Atlas Peak. SoloRosa means “only pink” in Italian. www.solorosawines.com
Written by Linzi
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