Rosé
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Now that we’ve gotten 3 consecutive days of 50+ degrees, it’s finally spring; or as I like to call it rosé season!! It’s the time of year when we lay out on any lawn, rooftop or park bench we can find because we’ve been deprived of the sun for so long. It’s also the time of year that we drink as much Rosé as we can because it’s light and chill (but really because Rick Ross drinks it #likeaboss).
While historians don’t know the exact origin of rosé wines, it is believed that this style of wine making originates from the south of France. Provence is now regarded as the “home” of rosé wines due to its history and popularity of rosé production. Traditional roséwines are made from red grapes (think Pinot Noir, Syrah or Tempranillo) that are lightly pressed and left in contact with the grape skins to macerate. The longer the juice remains in contact with the grape skins the darker the color of the rosé wine. Based on the grapes used to produce the wine, you’ll get different styles of rosés including fruity, floral, savory and lean with flavors of strawberry, raspberry, citrus and minerality. One thing to note though, is that rosés are often dry (as in not sweet).
Since there are thousands of different types of rosés out there, here are a few tips for when you go to your local wine shop to buy one:
1) Get the current vintage: most rosé wines don’t improve over time so you shouldn’t look to age this like other wines. Drink the current vintage, which at the moment is 2014.
2) Choosing a style: a few terms you should use when buying rosés are floral, fruity, savory and lean. These are some of the main characteristics of the different styles and your local wine shop salesperson will be impressed with your knowledge if you mention any of these.
3) Old World (Europe) vs New World (everywhere else): as a general rule of thumb most rosés from the Old World will be dry and have good structure and minerality whereas those from the New World tend to be more floral and fruity.
4) Dry or sweet: as mentioned, most rosés out there are dry (even if it has fruity qualities) but you can find a few examples of sweet rosé in the New World (like white zinfandel or pink moscato).
5) Price: While you can find rosé for more than $20, I wouldn’t spend that much unless it’s a really special occasion. The $20 and under price range will offer more than enough options.
Here are 4 different rosés that I like:
1) Cotes du Provence “MiP” 2014 – “MiP” which stands for “Made in Provence” is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah and what I like to call summer in a bottle. It has a floral nose of wild strawberries, passion fruit, and pineapple. It’s fresh on the palate with a little bit of minerality and finishes dry. It’s just smooth and awesome.
2) 2014 Calera – Vin Gris de Pinot Noir – Uhhh can we say Jolly Rancher?!?! This rosé, made from Pinot Noir has aromas of pomegranate, strawberries, jasmine and rose petals, but tastes just like a watermelon Jolly Rancher. Blows my mind every time
3) Lini Lambrusca Rosato – Lambrusco is the name of a grape in Italy, but it is also a style of wine from the Emilia-Romagna region (yah, Italy is confusing). This sparkling Lambrusco is floral with hints of cherries and spices. It’s a great bubbly springtime sipper.
4) Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé – “Now we sip champagne when we thirsty” – Notorious B.I.G. Just know, this is the type of Champagne that Biggie would have been drinking when he was ballin’ out.
Happy Spring!
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