Now that the warm days above 75 degrees are melting into each other, it's time to drink a wine that fits the season.
It's too darn hot for big, high-alcohol red wines like cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel. And chilled white wine is lovely but doesn't stand up to bolder flavors in many of summer's grilled foods.
This is the time for rosé. Whether it's a bottle of rosé from Provence or a sparkler from Spain, warm weather cries out for pink wine.
"Rosé speaks to summer," says Dave Marks, a principal at Cascade Trade, a wine brokerage based in Washington state. "I like rosé because it's versatile and pretty to look at."
There's something fun and inviting about the color pink, and rosé wines are no exception. These are fresh, often simple and slightly fruity while still being quite dry with no sugary sweetness.
Rosés can be made a few different ways. Red grapes that are picked a bit early are crushed and then the wine is siphoned or bled off when it has the flavor and color the winemaker wants. Other times, red grapes are crushed and then the skins - which impart color and deeper flavors - are removed at the right stage. And then the most subtle of rosés are made from white wine that has a splash of red added to give it a rosy hue.
For many people, the bone-dry rosé's from Southern France regions like Provence and the Rhone that can be vivid pink or pale with very subtle flavors, are the quintessential examples of this style. The most famous of these Provençal rosés like Domaine Tempier's Bandol Rosé and Domaines Ott Provence Rosé have gotten rather pricey, commanding prices in the $30 to $40 range, which seems counter to the spirit of a fun little summer wine.
But these days, as rosés have grown more popular, they're affordably made all over the world in a variety of styles.
"Rosé is a very versatile wine; it's great for showcasing its country of origin," says Kristin Cowan, associate wine buyer for Cost Plus World Market based in Oakland, Calif. Cost Plus stocks rosé from France, Spain and Chile while Marks says he's doing great business with a crisp, low alcohol vinho verde rosé from Portugal.
No matter where a rosé comes from, all of them share a fantastic affinity for foods.
"It's not red and it's not white but it drinks a little like both," says Jeff Morgan, a winemaker and author based in the Napa Valley. "That's why it works so well with everything from seafood to steaks."
In his book Rosé: A Guide to the World's Most Versatile Wine (Chronicle Books, 2005) Morgan shows that rosé is a perfect accompaniment whether it's a simple meal of cracked crab and shrimp, teriyaki salmon, grilled pork ribs or even a steak.
Even if your friends aren't serious wine drinkers - or even if they are - handing them a glass of rosé tells them to relax.
"It's a good way for people to enjoy wine without the pretensions associated with wine," Marks says. "You don't analyze it or swish it around or pontificate about it. You just drink it."
2009 Cantele Puglia IGT Negroamaro Rosato, About $12 - This is a bold style of rosé, made from the inky negroamaro grape in Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot. It tends to offer flavors of strawberry, cherry and flowers and makes a good combination with vegetable dishes as well as meats and seafood.
2009 Château de Campuget Costières de Nîmes Tradition Rosé, About $10 - This vivid peony pink wine is made from syrah and grenache grapes that are grown in an area of the Rhone known for its stony, clay soils. The earth adds notes of minerals to this inviting wine that tastes of fresh red raspberries and currants.
2008 Folie à Deux Ménage à Trois Rosé, About $12 - This playful rosé from the Napa Valley winery is a blend of merlot and syrah, plus some gewurztraminer which adds spicy fruitiness and a hint of sweetness. Expect a fruity explosion of peaches, strawberries and lychee from this one.
NV Avelada Casal Garcia Vinho Verde Rosé, About $8 - Vinho verde is a young and slightly spritzy Portuguese wine made from young or green grapes - hence the name "green wine." This one made from vinhao, red azal and borraçal grapes is crisp with great acidity balanced by flavors of strawberries and raspberries.
NV Juvé y Camps Brut Rosé About $18 - This family owned winery in Sant Saduri d'Anoia - the heart of the cava sparkling wine region southwest of Barcelona - uses 100 percent pinot noir grapes to craft juicy wine. It has aromas of flowers and red berries that follow through on the palate as well. It's perfect with fried seafood or jamon from Spain.
NV Pomula Wine Spritzer, About $7 Not really a true rosé, this blush pink colored wine exclusively at Cost Plus World Market is a blend of South African white wine and juice of pomegranate and marula, a native African fruit that elephants love. It's slightly sweet and quite low in alcohol, making it like an exotic wine cooler. It's not at all serious, but at the same time is seriously good with seafood, a fruit salad, sticky barbecue or even fried chicken and cole slaw.
