Wine: In defense of rosé
From time to time I feel the need to rise to the defense of rosé wine. They just don’t get the respect they deserve.
True, a decade or so ago a spate of soft, sweet, bland rosés and “blush” wines — Kool-Aid stuff — flooded the market and hurt rosé’s reputation. But today there are dozens of rosés that are dry, crisp, complex, intensely fruity and wonderful matches for food — from small-plate tapas to spiral-cut, honey-baked ham.
Rosés vary widely in character, in part because they can be made from just about any red grape. In the tasting notes below are rosés made of 15 grapes, from cabernet sauvignon to pinot noir to zinfandel.
Rosés are a product of the fact that even red grapes give off white juice. The longer the juice sits on the red skins, the more color it picks up. So winemakers let the skins soak until the juice has the color and flavor they want, then separate them.
Being somewhere between white wine and red wine in character, rosés naturally go well with a variety of foods. They’re excellent with Spanish tapas, from chorizo sausage to potato-based tortillas.
Fish? Why not? Especially healthy-fat fish such as salmon and tuna.
Ham? Pink meat with pink wine: How can you miss?
Rosés are great picnic wines. Toss a bottle in the ice chest, tote it to the beach and serve it extra cool with chicken or tuna salad, deli meats, sandwiches of all kinds, even fresh-cut chunks of fruit.
Rosés have the restraint to go with vegetarian, even vegan foods. Big, charcoal-grilled steaks? Not so much.
Finally, rosé wines don’t take themselves too seriously. You’re hard-put to find one over $20. You don’t have to slosh them around in your mouth and pontificate over them. You can just drink them. And isn’t that nice?
Highly Recommended
• 2010 Tapeña Rosé, Tierra de Castilla, Spain (garnacha, monastrell, shiraz grapes): dry and crisp, with tart cherry and pink grapefruit flavors; $10.
• 2010 “Enjoue” Rosé, by Lassiter Family Winery, Sonoma Valley, Calif. (syrah, mourvedre, grenache): light and lively, with flavors of strawberries, lemons, apricots; $24.
• 2011 Chateau Saint Sulpice Sarah Rosé, Bordeaux, France (merlot, cabernet sauvignon): dark hue, full and rich and complex, with flavors of blackcurrants and spice; $15.
Recommended
• 2011 Rosé, Michel Torino Coleccion, Cafayete, Argentina (malbec): crisp, with flavors of black cherries and cinnamon; $13.
• 2010 “Cape Bleue” Rosé, by Jean-Luc Colombo, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, France (syrah, mourvedre, counoise); rich and full, with flavors of cherries, apricot and licorice; $12.
• 2010 Clayhouse Adobe Pink Wine, “Red Cedar Vineyard,” Paso Robles, Calif. (mourvedre, syrah, cabernet sauvignon): hint of sweetness, flavors of strawberries and cinnamon; $14.
• 2011 Jaboulet “Parallele 45” Cotes du Rhone Rosé, Rhone Valley, France (grenache, cinsault, syrah): full-bodied and rich, with flavors of black cherries and minerals; $15.
• 2011 Carlo Santi “Infinito” Rosé, Veneto, Italy (corvina, rondinella, molinara): light and dry, with flavors of tart cherries and cloves; $12.
• 2011 Hecht Bannier Rosé, Languedoc-Roussillon, France (grenache, syrah, cinsault): rich and full, with flavors of red plums and a hint of minerals; $15.
• 2011 “Attitude” Rosé, by Pascal Jolivet, Loire Valley, France (pinot noir, cabernet franc, gamay) rich and full, with flavors of tart cherries and a hint of minerals; $15.
Fred Tasker has retired from The Miami Herald but is still writing about wine. He can be reach at [email protected].
Bill & Sheila’s Wine
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