Play it cool: August 2023

When thinking of Rosé, the famed and classic wines from the southern parts of France come to mind first; the Provence and Bandol regions can be spotted on many Rosé labels as they have set the early trend for that delicious easy drinking pale pink that has been replicated all over the world. Grapes blended to produce those wines are often the southern French reds like Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre, and Syrah, with the occasional use of white varietals like the local Rolle, better known across the eastern border in Italy as Vermentino.

And so here is where the wonderful and slightly confusing wine journey through Europe begins, where even experts are thrown off by the variety of different grapes, blends, and traditions of winemaking, old and new, in all European wine-producing regions. Because of the recent rise in temperatures, that would include almost every country in Europe by now.

Countries topping the list are France (#1), Spain (#2), Portugal, Italy (#4), Germany, Austria, and Greece. Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Czechia, England, and Sweden (yes, Sweden!) are also up and coming. There are too many Rosé wines to try, all made from hundreds of different varietals, so we can only offer you a sliver of some of the best ones we think are worth trying. Here’s a fun fact: the world’s third largest producer of Rosés is the USA, and we also have some of their best ones in stock. Now back to Europe….

There is a large selection and many different styles going from pale to dark red, from bone dry to sweet, mineral with a lot of juicy acid play, or soft and with a bigger mouthfeel, almost full body.

This cherry red ‘Chiola’ by producer Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo from the Southeast of Italy is made from 100% Montepulciano, producing a Rosé darker in color, like a freshly cut pomegranate. It has a juicy acid play that makes it delicious and great when paired with pasta salads, marinated white meat, grilled suckling pig, or perfect for lounging by the pool.

The three main methods for making Rosé are:
1) explicitly growing the fruit for the wine and stopping the coloring process when separating the juice from the grape skins,
2) the Saignée method (‘bleed off’) which involves draining a portion of juice from a tank of crushed red grapes intended for red wine resulting in a richer and darker color or
3) blending red and white – mainly used for sparkling wine production like Champagne where Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay are used resulting in the toasty, creamy and fruity aromas that we know from Champagne.

Wherever and however it is made … Rosé all day!