Wine Line: Rosés are back in style

Pink will work and blush does too. In Italy they call it rosato and the Spanish say rosado. Germans say something I can't pronounce, so I'll skip it. But the French, who make more pink wine than anyone else, call it rosé.

Rosé wines are back. Remember in the '60s when Mateus and Lancers were the "in" wines. Then in the '70s, White Zinfandel took center stage. It's no wonder wine drinkers were turned-off and confused trying to understand rosé. Most people thought pink wines were too sweet and generally inferior. A dry rosé in the '90s was a tough sell, but not today, as rosé sales were up 45 percent for the year ending March 2007 according to a Nielson Co. report.

Rosé is generally made by keeping the juice in contact with the skins of the grape for a short period of time (24-48 hours) to pick up the color of the wine. Less time produces a lighter color, less tannins and a lighter wine. Longer skin contact produces a darker hue, some tannin and a bigger wine. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks, receives no oak or wood treatment and almost all Old World wines are fermented completely dry. This is the trend of New World wines as well, with most stating "Dry Rosé"on the front label, trying to convince us that this is not another "White Zin."

Russ Winton -

Rosé wines should be served chilled, but not so much as to lose the subtle flavors of the wine. Dry rosé wine has long been popular in Europe, especially in the south of France. We were in Nice in the summer of 2003 (one of the hottest summers on record) dining al fresco late in the evening and drinking rosés from the Provence region. French rosés work well with Mediterranean foods such as garlic, tomato, fish, shellfish, poultry, game, sausages, olives, basil and of course, pommes frites. Those dinners made us realize how versatile a dry rosé wine could be. You can pair it with almost anything off the grill. Burgers, ribs, chicken, salmon (blackened or smoked) and pork all work well with a chilled dry rosé. "Viola" as the French say!

There is no need to cellar a rosé as they are made to drink right away. So here lies the problem. If French rosés are as affordable as California's, where do we find them? The answer is, unfortunately, not in the Central Valley. I checked the local outlets (Raley's, SaveMart, Safeway, Costco, Smart and Final, Cost-Plus, Beverages and More) and was quite disappointed to find that only one or two 2007 rosés were on the shelves. So here is the answer, GO TO A GIANT'S GAME. It doesn't matter if they are winning or losing, or even if you are a Dodger fan, you can use this as an opportunity to buy some great rosés. Three great wine shops are located within a mile or so of AT&T Park. Go early and buy a case or four of some of the best rosés for under $12 a bottle. If you want the names and addresses of these shops, drop me an e-mail and maybe you can pick some up for me since my next game is in late August.

If baseball is not your thing, here are some California rosés that you can look for: Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare, Joseph Phelps vin de Mistral Rosé, McDowell Grenache Rosé, Sola Rosa (they only make rosés), Renwood Syrah Rosé, Handley Cellars Pinot Rosé, Francis Coppola Sofia (Costco), and Navarro Rosé, only available on line at www.navarrowines.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Reach me at rgwinton@yahoo.com.