Spring is here and summer is around the corner, and for oenophiles, this means rosé season.
Rosé is perhaps the most misunderstood wine on the market, and understandably so. The glory days of white zinfandel and blush are over, although they still have a place in the market.
Today, the vast majority of pink wines are indeed dry, not sweet. These wines are delightful for several reasons.
They typically are very fresh, bright, clean and un-oaked. Aromatics include notes of watermelon, strawberry, peach, raspberry, flowers and rhubarb.
Depending on where the wines are from and the grape varieties, they can range from light to full-body.
Because of their lower alcohol contents, they make great afternoon wines or pre-dinner wines to enjoy with appetizers and friends.
To begin, it’s best to understand what makes rosé pink. Red wine and rosé get their color from the skins of the grapes. The longer the skins and juice macerate together, the darker and more tannic (in reds) the wine will be.
Most deep red wines have maceration periods ranging from 15 to 30 days. Rosé is mostly made from black grapes and typically has macerations ranging from 3 to 24 hours.
The shorter the maceration, the lighter in color the wine will be and the more it will drink like a white wine. A darker rosé will drink more like a red wine. Either way, rosés are meant to be chilled.
Dry rosé is perhaps the most versatile wine when it comes to food pairing. Its fresh and vibrant acidity allows it to pair well with almost all foods, particularly ham, salmon, tuna, spicy Thai and sushi. Rosé also accommodates salads, cheeses, charcuterie, seafood, red or white meat and – most importantly – sunny afternoons on the back porch.
Some of the greatest rosés come from southern France. The wines of Provence always seem to boast a beautiful light salmon color, along with refreshing notes of watermelon, strawberries and a mineral backbone that keeps them interesting.
Head north and you will find the best and only all-rosé district of Tavel, with some of the most sturdy and mineral-driven rosés that are not for the faint of heart. The wines of Tavel have longer macerations and, as a result, are deeper in color. They’re also full-bodied and intensely mineral-driven, which can be off-putting for the unsuspecting.
The rosés from further north in Sancerre are made from pinot noir and drink more like white wine, with delightfully crisp acidity and minerals. Of course, there also are excellent rosés from Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, California and Oregon, each with their own style.
The enormous surge in the popularity of dry rosé in recent years has required retailers and restaurants to pre-order their favorite wines in January, months ahead of the seasonal market. If you miss the pre-orders, you may very well miss out for the season.
For producers, this is a great problem to have, but for consumers this poses the concern that their favorite wine may become limited in availability, potentially leaving them hanging dry.
Alan Cuenca is an accredited oenophile and owner of Put a Cork in It, a Durango wine store. Reach him at info@putacorkinit.org.
