You probably don’t need a reminder of how thoroughly pleasurable rosé wines are at this sweltering time of year, but I confess that sometimes I do. Just as I tend to forget how much I enjoy dessert wines, I sometimes need to have someone else present me with a glass of cold rosé on the right evening with the right food to jolt me back into appreciating them at the level they deserve.
A friend performed that very service for me last week, so it seems like good vinous karma to pass the favor along just in case you too may have forgotten.
In terms of performance at the summer table, rosés are arguably the most versatile of all wines as partners for food, falling as they do into the gray area between whites and reds. They show a little more body and depth of flavor than most whites, yet they can be thoroughly chilled and made much more refreshing than even a light red.
This enables rosés to pair up beautifully with moderately robust foods like salmon, swordfish, tuna, chicken, pork or veal. Moreover, they are superb with cold soups and many vegetarian dishes. And for a quick, light summer meal, you just can’t do better than a nice piece of fish and some sliced vegetables, all simply brushed with olive oil and grilled with a dusting of fresh herbs. Add some crusty bread and a juicy, fresh rosé–and you’ll be converted to the so-called Mediterranean diet for life.
Since the white Zinfandel fad has long since faded, almost all of the rosés you’ll find on store shelves these days are dry—or only very faintly sweet. Good ones are made all over the world these days, but the very best ones still come from around the Mediterranean, and more specifically from the Mediterranean coast of France. Many are attractively priced, including the following:
Jean-Luc Colombo, Vin de Pays de Mediterranée Rosé “Cape Bleue” 2010 ($12, Imported by Palm Bay International): Juicy and playful but not overtly sweet, this is full of bright cherry fruit with a crisp, clean finish.
Domaine de Nizas, Coteaux de Languedoc Rosé 2010 ($14, Imported by Clos du Val): Fresh and zesty but nevertheless engagingly nuanced, this packs a lot of bright red berry flavor on a light frame.
Vie Vité, Côtes de Provence Rosé 2010 ($15, Imported by Tourquoise Life): This strikingly complex wine shows layered aromas and flavors and a delicious core of fruit recalling wild strawberries. The packaging is also beautiful—but not as lovely as the wine. And it gets better: You might think that there’s nowhere to go but down after tasting this wine, but the fact is that you can take a big step up without even leaving this stable. The Vie Vité, Côtes de Provence Rosé “Extraordinaire” 2010 ($22) really, truly lives up to its name, with even more intricate aromas and flavors than the regular wine, and its really marvelous depth of flavor doesn’t diminish it refreshment value. This is a completely convincing wine…and a very powerful reminder!
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