Think Pink for Summer!
by briarcliff, June 27, 2009 | Permalink
Think Pink for Summer!
By: John Chumbris
That’s right, I said it. Think Pink! I’m talking about a great summer wine - Rosé. Like many, I once thought all rosés were sweet and fruity like the ever popular, California white zinfandel or the 70’s Portuguese favorites, Lancers and Mateus. While the Portuguese wines have fallen out of favor in the US (you can still see Mateus billboards in Portugal proclaiming, “Drink Pink!”), white zinfandels are going strong. These days though, a wider variety of rosés are available. The increased interest in recent years has made it much easier to find wonderful dry styles and they remain quite affordable, with most $10-$15.
Rosés can run the gamut from dry and elegant to sweet and fruity; they are incredibly food friendly, playing nice with a variety of foods from light summer salads to burgers or ribs from your backyard grill. Rosés are made from red wine grapes - pinot noir, zinfandel, malbec, grenache, syrah, sangiovese and many others - but are treated more like white wines. After the grapes are crushed, the clear juice is left in contact with the skins for a few days rather than weeks, long enough to pick up a bit of color and flavor but a fraction of the time that would result in a red wine. The variety of grape and how long the juice remains in contact with the skins determines the depth of color and flavors they pick up. The result is a wine with many of the characteristics of a white, with the addition of bright red berries flavors such as strawberry, cherry and raspberry.
The key to its versatility is matching the style of rosé with the food you are serving. With lighter fare, try the Chateau St Martin de la Garrigue Tradition 2008 Coteaux du Languedoc, a blend of syrah and carignan; or the Chateau Routas Rouviere 2006, a 40/30/30 blend of grenache, syrah and cinsault. These lighter, elegant styles have a nice balance of fruit and crisp acidity. With heartier fare off the grill, go for a richer, more lush style such as the Bastianich Rosato, made from the uncommon Italian refrosco grape. More deeply colored than many, it has a full juiciness that will stand up to bigger flavors while remaining crisp and refreshing. Don’t forget the sparkles also! New Mexico’s Gruet Brut Rosé is a fine example of a fruity yet dry sparkling rosé made in the traditional méthode Champenoise style and a deal at under $20.
With 10-12 rosés on the floor at the moment, you’re sure to find a style that suits your taste. We even have a white zin if that’s what suits you. Serve your rosé well chilled but not ice cold. They are a refreshing antidote to the intense summer heat, so what are you waiting for?
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