Rosé has taken on a bad wrap for some. Primarily due to the overly sweet, cheep wines that are pink. Sincérité is not one of those wines. Thank goodness!

So, how are higher quality Rosé wines different? And, why are they pink? Great questions.

There are a number of factors involved. One biggest is that think of your typical red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir and envision a lighter bodied version of that. Typically, the winemaker will leave the skins with the crushed grapes through the fermentation process. This lends the grape juice the darker hue as well as the tannin that help the wine age and provide the oomph to compliment bigger and heavier quisine. By pulling the skins out earlier in the process, the winemaker has a lighter bodied wine without the heavy tannin. Rosé also misses the aging in oak. This keeps the fruit flavors and aromas front and center in Rosé’s character. I have also talked to winemakers who no matter how hard they tried with some harvests, the grapes just never turned the grape juice dark so they shifted away from a heavier aged red and went with no oak and no ageing.

As you can see, there is less labor that typically goes into Rosé, so it’s not uncommon to see a winemaker who makes higher-end reds or even whites, feature a Rosé that is much more cost friendly.

All in all, I’ll confess that I prefer heavier body red wines. However, living in Dallas where the temperature is akin to the surface of the sun 8-9 months of the year, there are simply some days where that full-bodied cab or red blend is just too big and heavy.   Rosé is a perfect bridge between the red that I prefer and lighter bodied (and more importantly), COLD white wines. The great thing about Rosé when it comes to pairing with food is that it really does cover the chemical spectrum with regards to acidity and tannin.

This is a great pairing with summer grilling. It has nice acidity and is good with a range of food. I tasted this Rosé with grilled pork tenderloin and again with grilled sausage, peppers & onions and it was a nice complement for $9.95 at Goody Goody which boasts a fantastic selection of Rosé from around the world.

 

Composition: Pinot Noir (100%)

Producer: Joseph Mellot  (www.josephmellot.com)

Appellation: France (IGP) Loire Valley – Sancerre

Appearance: Light, rusty pink with a hint of salmon

Aroma: Hint of vanilla and faint red fruit

Taste: Cherry