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While most people are outside on the beach or playing in
the sun, I lock myself in my house, draw the shades and
indulge in one of my guilty pleasures. Yes, I am
a closet rosé drinker--a card-carrying pinko!
It wasn't always like this. Once these wines were--dare
I say it--sought after (especially in southern latitudes)
and admired for their ability to combine the best attributes
of red wine with the refreshing qualities of a cool white
wine. But that was before the blush graze of the early '80s,
when big hair and sticky-sweet white zin were "in"
and serious wine-drinkers abandoned rosé like rats
on a sinking ship. To this day these wines are considered
so déclassé that most wine writers
do not even mention that they exist. But they are still
made all over the world, usually for local consumption.
Whether the wines are called blush, rosé, vin gris,
saignée, rosado, weissherbst or clairette, they are
all made essentially the same way. Grape juice from red
or white grapes is basically clear in color. For red wine,
the winemaker leaves the skins of the grapes in the juice
to absorb its color, tannins and flavors. Pink wines are
just an abbreviation of this method. The time with the skins
determines the color of the wine, from pink to salmon to
a pale red.
Rosé can be made from any red grape, but some of
the finest rosés come from the south of France, where
the dominant grape variety is grenache. These wines tend
to have the aroma of fresh strawberries or wildflowers.
They are dry, light and zesty, with full flavor and none
of the heavy harshness of a full-blown red wine: the best
of both worlds. The sad truth, however, is that few rosés
achieve this perfect balance, often inheriting the worst
attribute from each parent, making them thin, insipid and
coarse--or simply sweet.
Some of the good ones:
1999 Château la Canorgue, Côtes du Luberon,
Rosé $14.99.
Floral nose with hints of citrus. Light and dry with refreshing
acid. The finish is smooth and has lots of grenache character--reminiscent
of strawberry jam.
1999 Bergerie de l'Hortus, Pic Saint Loup, Rosé
de Saignée $11.99.
A beautiful pink, this wine has both more grenache high
notes and more acidity, giving the impression of tangerine
zest. Very elegant and refined.
1999 Vin Gris De Cigare, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Calif.
$8.99.
A wonderful deal from the original "Rhone Ranger." Randall
Graham uses a traditional Rhone blend but with a definite
California style. Deeper in color, with gobs of fresh strawberries
and spice. This is fuller and richer and comes off with
just a hint of sweetness. A wonderful aperitif wine for
a hot summer day.
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