Blog 2010.01: Rosé - It's Not Just For Summer...

For our first wine blog, we decided to talk about an under-utilized and sometimes misunderstood type of wine - rosé. Here are two typical misconceptions we have observed:

1. "Rosés are sweet" - This is only partly true in that it applies to White Zinfandel and dessert wines, like a Pink Moscato.
2. "Rosés are only good as summer aperitifs" - Again, partly true, because of the word "only". They can be much more than that, and that's the subject of this issue.

Ah, summer...Picture this scenario...It's late afternoon of a warm & sunny day and you've just cleaned up from a hard day's work of gardening and landscaping. You plop down in a comfy chair on your patio to watch the sunset and start groovin' on some tunes by Jerry G & The Gr8ful D or streamin' some rock & blues classics by those Musicheads at The Album Station. Now it's time for the big decision - What to drink (after a big glass of water, of course...)?

Of the items in our libation arsenal, a rosé comes up quite often - American, French, Italian, Australian, South African...it doesn't matter. A rosé oozes happiness and sunshine. It is thirst quenching and flavorful - thoroughly satisfying. To describe the flavor profile in a word - STRAWBERRY. Some are more herbally, minty or minerally, but strawberry is always there. No matter what country, no matter what grape variety, there is always a glimmer of strawberry. Why? Don't know...go ask the experts!

But a rosé can be much more than a summer quaffer. It is maximum food-friendly. Light enough for most seafood, yet bold enough for most meat dishes, and perfect for salads (as long as they are not overly vinegared). Just recently, we had some guests order the following for dinner - wild boar sausage & spicy sea scallop appetizers with arctic char & roasted duck mains. They asked for our recommendation and out came a sparkling rosé (see below for details). While it may not have been the perfect match for the individual dishes, it worked well for the whole, and the palate-cleansing characteristic of the bubbles was a bonus.

And here's an added bonus...Now is a great time to check your favorite wine shop for any remaining rosés in stock. Since the next vintage will be coming out shortly, you may be able to get a good deal to "help" move inventory (what a pleasant way to lend a hand...). While the shelf-life of rosé is not tremendous, anything you purchase should be fine for near term consumption. FYI, we have some 2007's that are still pouring quite well.

Without further ado, here are some interesting rosés to have fun with:

• Azienda Agricola Provenza "Chiaretto",
  Garda DOC Classico, Garda (Lombardia), Italy, 2007
  
  A unique blend of Barbera, Groppello, Marzemino and Sangiovese grapes from Italy's northern lake region
  Distributor - Vermont Wine Merchants


• Château Grande Cassagne,
  Costières de Nimes AC, St-Gilles (The Midi), France, 2008
  
  Primarily Syrah. A fine example of rosé in the French tradition. This is the wine that made us converts to rosé!
  Distributor - Vermont Wine Merchants


• Casal Garcia "Rosé",
  Vinho Verde DOC, Penafiel, Portugal, 2008
  
  Vinho Verdes are always light, fizzy and fun. This one just takes it to another level, at a very reasonable price. You can't go wrong with this offering!
  Distributor - Vermont Wine Merchants


• Foss Marai "Roös Spumante Brut",
  Guia di Valdobbiadene (Veneto), Italy, NV
  
  Primarily Prosecco with a dose of Sangiovese, Montepulciano and Cabernet Sauvignon for extra color and flavor. Comes in a beautifully molded bottle of award-winning design to complete the package. This is the wine we served at the dinner mentioned above. Delizioso e unico!
  Distributor - Farrell Distributing Corporation


• Graham Beck "Brut Rosé",
  Franschhoek, South Africa, NV
  
  A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We served this one to our dinner guests on New Year's Eve. The food-friendly nature of this sparkling rosé made it a slam-dunk for the diverse range of flavors presented on that evenings special menu...Thanks go to Joerg Klauck for suggesting this wine!
  Distributor - Vermont Wine Merchants


• Buehler Vineyards,
  Napa Valley AVA, St. Helena, California, 2007
  
  Yes folks, a White Zinfandel. While we are not big fans of this style, this particular wine does have some real Zinfandel berry character. And, it is estate grown, unlike most of it's competition. If you like White Zin, you owe it to yourself to try it. It also makes a great poaching medium, and we've even made a refreshing sorbet from it!
  Distributor - Vermont Wine Merchants

And there you have it. Now go out, get some rosé, and have some fun...and don't wait for summer to get here to do it...

CHEERS!!!