Bye Bye Blush. Rosé Wine is on the Rise.

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How You Gonna Ship It? Wine, That Is.

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Flavor! Napa Valley 2012

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Road Trip to Solvang: Wine and Happy Hour

My Silverlake Wine Night

Wine Toys: Get Educated

Wine Tasting: Where to Go

Blends are About to Take Over

LA Wine Fest 2012

August 29th, 2013

When I hear “Rosé” or “Blush” I think cheap, sweet, unfashionable box wine or even sweet pink wine coolers, but these adjectives describe a fairly limited amount of pink wine. Rosé wine has risen in the past ten years as wine lovers have discovered that many of these pink wines are not the sugary sweet wines which saturated the market years ago, like the White Zinfindel, but have been brought back to life as a sort or half-sister of red wine, with sophistication and stylistic offerings from all over the world. Whether it’s Rosé, Rosado (Spain), Rosato (Italy), or even Blush, these pink counterparts of red wine have "grown up" in the past ten years and become the newest trend with wine lovers. Many stores have even created a Rosé section, proving this old, yet new vino can hold its own in the competitive wine market.

“Pink wine” is produced by limited contact with the red grape skins to achieve the desired color intended by the winemaker. Predominantly used grape varietals are Grenache, Sangiovese, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Pinot Noir. Depending on the region where it derives from, such as Tempranillo from Italy, or Cabernet or Pinot Noir blends from North America, Rosé wine can be made sweet, off-dry, or bone-dry style. European Rosés are often decidedly dry including the very popular Tavel Rosés from the Rhone region of France.

Rosés are made a number of different ways; the most common include: Saignee, Blending, or Pressing with limited skin contact. The Saignee method is a byproduct of red wine making. As red wine is going through fermentation, 10% of the juice is bled off, so the remaining juice results in a richer and bolder red wine. Napa Valley creates bold Cabernet Sauvignon through this method and the run off Rosé wine can be found and purchased at the winery. The leftover bled wine, or Saignee, is then fermented into a darker Rosé wine. However, European markets feel these are not ‘true Rosés’ as they are an afterthought of red wine making. The second method, Blending, does exactly what it says; it blends red and white grapes to create the desired pink color. After the perfect color is produced, fermentation can begin. Pressing or Pressé, is another method that has evolved and allowed Rosés to take shape with the ability to stand on their own. Here, skin contact is limited as the juice (literally) has a ‘one night stand’ with the skins, producing a paler pink color. These color and tannin techniques prove that winemakers are getting truly serious about Rosé Wine.

(Rosé on a budget: $4.95 La Ferme Julien at Trader Joe's)

When on the market for an amazing Rosé look for the year, grape, and tasting notes. If you’re in the market for a dry Rosé stick to the European Regions. Spain and Southern France are producing some incredible Rosés right now.  If the grape is a Syrah it will most likely be a dryer Rosé, however if the grape is a Moscato or Zinfindel the Rosé will more likely be on the sweet side. Look for recent vintages; Rosés should be young, only about 1-3 years old. If you’re shopping for a California Rosé, 2011 was a cool year and the grapes never fully ripened - making it a perfect vintage for Rosé.

Rosé pairs well with a variety of dishes, but I particularly love it with cheese and charcuterie plates, seafood dishes and especially ceviche (I recommend adding diced strawberries to the ceviche to bring out even more of the Rosé flavor). Plus, any Rosé is a perfect match for the warm summer weather. Lastly, chill the **ck out of it (the cold will maintain the electric zing of your Rosé) and enjoy!