Ma Vie En Rosé
Beneath its inviting pink color, rosé holds real pedigree, from classic grapes to specific craft. It’s no ‘a-little-red, a-little-white’ Frankenwine – rosé makers seek a specific magic.
There is an entire spectrum of rosé wines to suit even those who might begrudge white wine on a hot summer day. It’s about taste and preference, not fashion – color your glasses with rosé!
Goes great with: antipasti, summer salads, mild cheeses, romance.
A wine can seem retiring, or even act rude. I have had an unfamiliar wine kiss me brazenly, leaving marks. One thing a wine should not do is blush.
“Blush” wines from California became popular in the 70’s, and were cute, pink, and sweet. That is fine, but rosé draws roots to classic Southern Rhône grapes like Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. There is a whole spectrum of these wines, light to deep, dry to sweet, and I want you to live in pink for a spell.
Therein, la différence: rosé wines are unique, a fleeting creation of dark grapes generally left upon their skins a few days. Leaving them through fermentation would result in red wine, but rosé is the art of dusk, the magical middle ground of twilight.
Before summer fades, share with me a bottle of 2007 Chateau d’Aqueria from Provence. With a floral perfume and a melon tongue, is there a better way to toast the setting sun?