Thankfully, the rosé section in most local wine stores is no longer limited to the sickly sweet pink blush wines of years gone by. Though to be fair, the off dry Mateus Rosé from Portugal still holds fond memories for most wine lovers as their earliest rosé exposure.
While for decades many stores limited their rosé or blush section to white zinfandel, happily that is no longer the case. And while spring for many is the time to welcome rosé, it can be enjoyed any time during the year.
First a little bit about rosé: Almost any grape with red skin can be made into rosé wine, as rosé is created by the wine’s exposure to the skin during the winemaking process. This is because most grapes, even those with red skin, are not red on the inside.
The length of time of the skin exposure helps to determine the color of the wine. There is also the lesser used blending method where a bit of red wine is added to white wine to create rosé, but the skin exposure method is much more widely used.
In many cases, the flavor profile of the rosé can be somewhat deduced by the color, with darker pink rosés being more boldly flavored and with richer mouth feels. The paler pink rosés are usually more delicately flavored.
Here are three different and interesting rosés. There will be upcoming columns with more rosés to come.
The first a beautiful pale pink rosé from Frescobaldi in Italy retailing for $24. The Alìe Rosé 2021 is a blend of Syrah and Vermentino. The nose is fruity with citrus and floral notes. This wine is floral, fruity, dry, and crisp, with slightly herbal notes as well. This light rosé is the perfect day drinker.
The next is a true global treat. Made in Australia from the Italian varietal sangiovese, known worldwide for its dominance in Chianti, is, The Y Series Sangiovese Rosé 2021. This wine retails at an extraordinarily economical $14. It has notes of cherry, cranberry and pomegranate and a dry citrus finish. This is a fabulous seafood rosé.
Lastly, the boldest of the three rosés is the 2022 Ehlers Estate Sylviane Rosé from Napa Valley in California. This rosé has a darker pink hue, and a richer mouth feel. It has strong notes, both on the nose and the palate, of raspberry, strawberry, and orange peel.
This is a wine that while it will pair beautifully with all the foods rosé is meant to pair with such as appetizers, salads, seafood, and fruits, it also is a lovely rosé to sip on its own. Though fruity and rich it still finishes wonderfully dry with balanced acidity. It retails for $38.
Related Story: Something to Wine About: Wolffer Estate Rosé Wine 2021
