CLEVELAND, Ohio - Warm-weather wine sipping means Rosé.
In the past several years, Rosé's popularity has increased. It's a bit of a misnomer, as many unassuming drinkers look at its blush, pink color and think sweet wine and often write it off.
Here is a primer on Rosé followed by our flavor and price guide (and a one-question poll on the bottom):
Myth 1: Rosé is made by mixing red and white wine. Truth: You can mix red and wine grapes, as some sparkling wines do, but generally Rosé is not made this way.
Myth 2: Rosé only comes from a certain type of grape. Truth: Rosé can be made from many red grapes - Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Syrah, to name a few.
Myth 3: All Rosé wine is sweet. Truth: While some can be sweet, many are dry, as is every bottle in our guide below.
Regions: France, Spain, Italy and the United States are big producers of Rosé, but it's being made across the world.
Color: Rosé's color comes from the limited amount of time - a few days - the skin and juice spend together. And the don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover adage applies. Don't assume a darker, rich, violet-colored Rosé will be dryer than a lighter, salmon-colored one.
Dry vs. sweet: The general rule - and very general, definitely not 100% - is that Old World (European) Rosés are dry. Those produced in the New World can be fruitier and sweeter.
Prices: Rosé is inexpensive. Generally expect to pay in the mid- to high teens, and almost always under $20.
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Key label word: Provence. If you see this French region on a label for a Rosé, chances are it's going to be dry and a good value. Provence is in the southeastern corner of France on the Mediterranean Sea. Seafood dishes with Mediterranean-type seasoning are said to pair very well with Rosé.
Speaking of labels: Spanish Rosés are Rosado. In Italy, it's Rosato.
Did you know? Amazingly, more Rosé is sold than white wine in France, according to vinepair.com.
About White Zin: "White Zinfandel is the Paris Hilton of wine: cheap, intolerably stupid, yet somehow still fashionable and newsworthy years after her reality show was cancelled." - vinepair.com.
Aging: Don't. They have some shelf life, but don't lay these down for more than a couple of years. They are meant for patio sipping with friends.
Decanting: While decanting usually enhances wines, it is not necessary with youthful Rosés.
Food: Discovercaliforniawines.com says Rosé pairs well with fresh cheeses, cured meats and "produce-centered meals."
Serving temperature: 50-60 degrees.
Flavor and price guide
Here is our guide to 15 Rosés. All are $25 or under, and all but three are the most recent vintage available. They should be in Northeast Ohio retail markets, though vintages sub out.
Note: As proof of how different Rosé can be, we tried two side-by-side - Chehalem and Stoller. Both are from the same region in Oregon, same vintage, price and varietal. And both had distinctly different tastes.
Hampton Water
Hampton Water
Hampton Water, France, 2018, $25
Grapes: 60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 15% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah
A bit floral on the nose with tangerine on both the aroma and palate. Nice strawberry flavor comes through. We liked this better when it was not ice cold. Flavors emerged as it warmed a bit, so take it out of the fridge and let it sit before pouring. A nice one, from Jon Bon Jovi's son Jesse Bongiovi. (And when you finish half the bottle you can sing the chorus from "Livin' On A Prayer.")
Long Meadow Ranch
Long Meadow Ranch
Long Meadow Ranch, 2018, $25
Grape: Pinot Noir
A little floral on the nose, with tart strawberry, green apple and cherry on the palate. A little acid helps it stand up to food.
Chehalem
Chehalem
Chehalem Winery, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2019, $25
Grape: Pinot Noir
With notes of Jolly Rancher, this pleasant, smooth and light-tasting wine tasted and finished dry. (Blind we would have guessed Old World.)
Stoller
Stoller
Stoller Family Estate, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2019, $25
Grape: Pinot Noir
A bit reminiscent of strawberry-cherry Pop-Tart baking flavors, this pleasing wine has a slight tart bitterness and bit more complexity than the Chehalem, which we liked but enjoyed this a little more.
Oak Farm Vineyards
Oak Farm Vineyards
Oak Farm Vineyards, Lodi, California; 2019, $24
Grape: Grenache
Strawberry and creaminess with some minor spice yielding a dry finish. Held up to salmon with miso butter and vegetables.
Peyrassol
Peyrassol
Peyrassol, Provence, France; 2019, $23
Grapes: Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Ugni Blanc and Rolle
Very dry with a long finish. This is a great food Rosé with notes of pear, raspberry and cantaloupe.
Steele
Steele Cab Franc
Steele Wines, Lake County, California; 2019, $18
Grape: Cabernet Franc
Peach in the nose and bright strawberry and red cherry comes out. Starts fruit-sweet, finishes with some acid, very nice medium-bodied wine. Fairly priced. "It gives you more than a lot of Rosés," a tasting pal said. (Search online for this one, it might be one of the tougher wines to find on shelves.)
Like wine? Option for buying wine vary. Online retailers offer chances to choose what you want, curate cases and find discounts.
Here’s a selection to consider
brightcellars.com: Monthly club matches you with wines after you take a "palate quiz."
cellarswineclub.com: Club allows you to choose the number of bottles you want.
splashwines.com: Choose a curated case or build your own.
winc.com: Four wines tailored to your tastes are shipped monthly. Has review component.
wine.com: Large online seller often offers new-customer discounts.
wineawesomeness.com: Three- and six-bottle curated shipments.
wineenthusiast.com: All-encompassing site for wine accoutrements - racks, glasses, openers, storage, gifts, more.
wineonsale.com: Allows you to select by varietal or region.
zachys.com: Includes a variety of ways to search/shop, plus has info on auctions.
Bonterra
Bonterra
Bonterra Vineyards, Mendocino County, California; 2019, $16
Grape: Grenache-based.
We detected cranberry and dried rose petals. Very drinkable wine made from organic grapes. If you see "organic" on a label, drink fairly soon.
Hahn Family Wines
Hahn
Hahn Family Wines, Monterey County, California; 2019, $15
Grape: Pinot Noir
Floral nose with a fairly big aroma. Some red licorice, some tart fruit, unripe raspberry on the palate. Watermelon on the tail end, but our tasting panel had split opinions on the finish.
Chronic Cellars
Chronic Cellars
Chronic Cellars, Paso Robles, California; 2019, $14.99
Grapes: Grenache and Syrah.
Wild label, decent wine. Ripe fruit, think Thanksgiving cranberry flavors with some creaminess. Very drinkable, with delicious finish of strawberry notes.
Raimat
Raimat Rosada
Raimat, Spain, 2018, $13
Grapes: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Tempranillo
Very intriguing woodsy, funky aroma with a cotton-candy element and sour cherry. We had it as a stand-alone sipper but would be good with cheeses.
Casillero del Diablo
Casillero del Diablo
Casillero del Diablo, 2019, $12
Grapes: 76% Cinsault; 9% Syrah, 9% Carmenere, 3% Garnacha, 3% other
Simple but pleasant Rosé with strawberry and red raspberry notes. Decent $12 wine. Nothing crazy but worth the price. Earthy nose.
Hess Select
Hess Select
Hess Select, California, 2019, $12
Grape: Pinot Noir
Ripe fruit, strawberry, juicy cherry, a little spicy/peppery, some orange in the nose, good value.
Cellier des Dauphins
Cellier des Dauphins
Cellier des Dauphins, Cotes du Rhone, France; 2019, $10.99
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault.
A red-candy aroma blew off, leading to a dry strawberry finish. Simple sipper, definitely worth the price. Very little acid but enough there to go well with cheeses.
Cune Rosado
Cune Rosado
CVNE, Spain, 2019, $13
Grape: Tempranillo
Our tasting panel detected candied flavors, cherry pie, cinnamon, cranberry, and specifically Luxardo cherries. Good Thanksgiving or Christmas wine. Decent buy for the money. Three of four of us enjoyed this, but I found the flavors too stark for my palate.
I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com.
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August 23, 2020 at 08:10PM
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