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Ask at Wine-Know: Why the bloom is not off the rosé
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Anonymous user Wed Sep 27, 2006 09:57:27 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments In my last column I was discussing a question about
Chardonnay and whether or not it was passe. My answer, if it ever was IT'S
BACK NOW in many forms.

Several of you commented to me about which
particular style you preferred and agreed with my descriptions of their
particular taste and flavors. Thank you. It's fun and informative to
receive your thoughts.

I  recently picked up the October issue of Bon Appetit magazine and I recommend to all Chard lovers a very
good article on the subject entitled "The Chardonnay Cycle."

Today's question is, "I have had some very nice rosé wines.  Why do people sneer at them?"

 I trust by "people" you mean wine snobs, dear reader. Well, the first thing
that comes to mind is a great quote that my sister passed on to me: "If you
don't like rosés, you don't go on enough picnics." 

There aren't many other
wines that can add to a beautiful day outdoors, or a luncheon on your patio,
like a rosé (pronounced ro zay). Drinking it is like a soft breeze across
your palate.

Most of
the other wines are big mouthfuls that demand your attention. A rosé doesn't
really care what you are munching, it will just add to the pleasure. And to
the beauty of the day.

Now, enough of the poetic images, what exactly is a rosé?

First, it can be
made from ANY grape, white or red. In California we mostly make these wines
from red grapes which are crushed and the juice is then left on the skins
just a short amount of time in order to get exactly the color wanted, from
pale pink to rosy pink to subtle salmon. Choose your hue. Call it anything
you want. Blush is a great name.

The juice is often not allowed to finish
fermenting, so not all the sugars are turned to alcohol, and the finished
wine is a little sweet. And it’s not as alcoholic as its bigger siblings.

All
of these characteristics make it very popular with the general public  White
Zin, anyone? There is more Sutter Home or Beringer White Zin sold than any
other single wine in the good old U.S. of A. on most weekends.

I think I heard that the first rosé in California was back in the 1940s,
was made by Almaden, and was a Pink Grenache. The first wines I thought
were really "cool" in my youth were Lancers and Mateus from Europe and they
were pink! And so easy to drink! And in such great bottles!

Do you know about rosé champagne? Definitely not to be sneered at. Usually
made by adding a little pinot noir (a red wine) to the second fermentation
of a white wine (chardonnay).

The French make stunning champagnes that are pink. And often more expensive
than the regular versions. They have that extra "je ne sais quoi" and are
something special.

Your wino friend with the sneer does know that he/she has tasted some really
poor blush wines that were not much tastier than colored water. There are a
lot of them around. Trying to capitalize on the marketing value of white zin
is what many winemakers, owners and growers do with grapes that show no
promise of commanding big bucks. It takes great grapes to make great wine.
Buyer Beware! Your friend just hasn't had the pleasure of a good rosé.

However, there are some really good California rosés out there. And you
sound like you've come across a few of them. These wines usually are quite
reasonably priced, so continue the search. Try it with the Sunday ham for
dinner. A match made in heaven!

Now for some wine event news:

The California Wine Experience, Oct. 19-21
    San Francisco Marriott Marquis
    All the great current California wines, plus many others
    Sponsored by the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation
    Telephone 1-888-575-8934 for info

Bakersfield Friends of Wine, Oct. 20
    Bakersfield Country Club, 7 p.m.
    Dinner & Wines  $72
    Featuring a new winery from Paso Robles, Calcareous
    Phone 871-6463 or 871-6830

Paso Robles Harvest Wine Festival, Oct. 20,21,22
    Dinners, tours, tastings -  85 wineries participating
    E-mail info@Pasowine.com or phone 800 549-9463 for more information

Bakersfield Wine Society Harvest Festival Saturday Oct. 28  2-5 p.m.
    All wine lovers welcome
    e-mail acierley@etcrier.net to be put on mailing list for info

Any questions for future columns? I appreciate them and all your thoughts.
Send to: acierley@etcrier.net

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