Pretty In Pink: Rosé… A Great Summer Wine!

Hi friends! It’s the weekend!

Did you know that the second Saturday in June has been declared National Rosé Wine Day? That makes today, Saturday, June 9th the perfect time to drink pink!

As we heat up for summer us red wine drinkers must reconsider our friends Cabernet and Merlot. I often put my Cabs away in the summer unless enjoying a hearty steak dinner from the grill. And, I’ll chill my Merlot a bit to make them a little more refreshing. But, a great alternative to both of these is the lovely Rosé, on the dry side for me, of course. There’s even a sparkling Rosé for my Champagne lovers out there!

A rosé’s color does not directly correlate with its taste. “Darker rosés may have more body than paler rosés, which could be appealing to those who prefer red wines,” says Doug Bell, the Atlanta-based global beverage buyer for Whole Foods Market. “But often paler blush wines have surprisingly complex aromas and flavors that can linger long after you’ve taken a sip.” In both styles, sweetness varies. Some bottles are bone-dry, while others have a slightly sweet finish.

Growing up, I would see my mom and her friends drinking “the pink wine”. Sometimes it was Zinfandel Rosé aka White Zinfandel but, I later found out that it was more often another type of Rosé, there are many. As an adult in my 20’s and even 30’s, Rosé didn’t seem as sophisticated as its deeper, darker cousins Cabernet and Merlot. But, in recent years (why’d it take me so long?) I have come to realize that not only is Rosé beautiful, but she is also tasty. Quite exquisite at times too. Now, I still on occasion enjoy a crisp white wine, but for us red wine drinkers Rosé can be the perfect summer wine chilled at 45-55 degrees. I promise my white wine friends, you too can love Rosé. And should!

Here are some foods (there are more) that pair well with Rosé wine:

Melon & prosciutto
Salads
Olive appetizers
Charcuterie
White rinded cheese like Camembert and Brie
Hummus
Crab
Pizza
Shrimp
Grilled fish
Lobster
Tuna
Quiche
Hamburgers
Sausages
BBQ!!
Thai foods

Here are some fun facts about Rosé wine from Buzz Feed:

There is no shame in drinking “pink wine” – Sure there’s crappy Rosé out there, but there’s also great Rosé out there. Definitely skip the boxed stuff!
Mixing red and white wines together is not how you make Rosé.
You can make Rosé anywhere in the world, from almost any grape – Rosé isn’t specific to a region. Though the biggest producers by volume are France, Spain, Italy, and the US.
With Rosé, the newest vintage = the freshest wine – Rosé, unlike red wine and George Clooney, does not improve with age! So, no need to hang on to that 2014 vintage. Drink it now!
If you don’t like sweet wines make sure it is “dry” – That’s what you want. A wine that’s fresh & acidic without extra sugar. Remember, it was super-sweet white Zinfandel and it’s mass-produced brethren that gave Rosé a bad name to begin with.
When in doubt, look for something from France, specifically Provence – It’s hard to go wrong with a Rosé from Provence, the Rhone Valley or the Loire Valley.
You do not need to pay more than $15 for a bottle – Rosés are usually a bargain. They’re still under appreciated in the US. Shhhh… And, even if you want to splurge you’re looking at no more than $25 to $30 a bottle.
You can and should drink Rosé with BBQ – These wines are versatile because they fall between the extremes of red and white. Less intense than a big, tannic red, but with more depth than a super-light white.
You can and should use it to make cocktails – Rosé is ideal for mixing! It’s not expensive and plays well with all kinds of fizzy and fruity mixers. Yummly has some great Rosé cocktail recipes like Rosé + Raspberry, Lillet Rosé Spring Cocktail, Rosé Spritzer, Rosé Sangria, Rosé Cucumber Cooler, to name a few.

In the name of research 😄 I’ve tried several Rosés recently. One that I really like is called Notorious Pink. It’s from the South of France. I picked it up at HEB for $19. It has a nice medium body, not too dry, and not too sweet. And, what a lovely bottle! It’s lightly frosted!

My friend Jennifer recently gave me a bottle of Rosé called Chateau Réal d’Or. It is such a lovely shade of pink! I can’t wait to try it!

There are Rosé wines to satisfy any palette. And, with any wine you will have to do some experimenting to find the one you like best. Not such a terrible thing – tasting wines to find your favorite!