EASTON, Md. — May 16, 2011 — No wine seems more misunderstood or mistreated than Rosé. Most likely it is a backlash from the California White Zinfandel craze of the 1980’s.
Light, sweet and easy to consume, it was a wine anyone could tip back.
Remy Pannier Rose d'Anjou from the Loire Valley in France. (Photo Credit: Palm Bay Imports)
Many a fortune was made on White Zin in those days, and it still remains a favorite for quite a few wine drinkers. The problem is that somehow pink has been condemned. So now many pink drinkers don’t feel free to come out of the proverbial wine closet.
To confuse things even further, these White Zinfandels bear no resemblance to the French Rosé that inspired them. Fresh, crisp and dry—this is the profile of most European Rosé. Rosé in its true form is the perfect wine for a backyard cookout, when you are nibbling on anything from salad to baked ham.
So what accounts for our pink aversion? Maybe it is just simply the color. Consider this; a French study in 2001 by Gil Morot concluded that our perceptions of wine and its flavors or aromas are prejudiced by its color.
It turns out our brains are prone to unconscious synaesthesia where our senses become confused. In this study, participants tasted a white wine and described melons, honey and citrus. The same wine was then colored red and participants perceived things like berries, leather and tar, which are common aromas in red wine.
Given this unconscious phenomenon, along with our eighties memories of the White Zinfandel, our thoughts are colored, even before we lift the glass to our lips.
Given that spring is a great time for a glass of Rosé, it makes sense to turn a blind eye to its appearance. Try this exercise; close your eyes and imagine the flavors of watermelon, luscious strawberries, or a ripe peach. Now think of the refreshing factor you get from a crisp white wine like a Spanish Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc. Put those together—luscious fruit with a refreshing crisp finish. That is traditional Rosé.
Now that we are comfortable thinking pink, it make sense to review the ways Rosé gets its color. One way is to blend white and red wines making it, of course, pink!
Another is to leave the grape juice in contact with the red grape skins for a short period of time, whereby only receiving minimal color. Most people are surprised to learn that, in fact, all grape juice is virtually clear. It is only this skin contact that makes a wine from red grapes truly red.
The third method called Saignée, which, in French, literally means to bleed. During red wine fermentation the skins of the red grapes are working to create the red shades we admire in our Pinots or Cabernets. Before the coloring is complete, some of the wine is bled off early, resulting in a lighter shade of red that I might dare to call pink.
If you are ready to start trying some great Rosé, you’ll be happy to know that it is made all over the world. The south of France is probably the region we most associate with Rosé. Provence formed an identity from this pink drink. Rose d'Anjou in the Loire, Rhone Valley and Bordeaux also produce their versions of Rosé from the red grapes for which they are best known.
Some of the most exciting Rosés of late comes from Spain and, believe it or not, Greece. Not to be outdone, some US winemakers are going beyond White Zinfandel to include dry pink wines in their portfolio.
Once you have found a Rosé that you want to savor, don’t forget that its food friendliness is one of its best qualities. Its fuller body allows it to handle food pairings that might overwhelm a white.
Crisp acidity ensures that it can withstand dishes with a good amount of salt and dishes that use acidic ingredients like vinegars or goat cheese. Some of the natural partners for dry Rosé include appetizers, salads, seafood, white meats, ham and even dishes with a bit of spiciness.
Sauces that include garlic, tomatoes or olives are also no problem for a crisp Rosé.
As things heat up, you’ll want the refreshing coolness of white wine with the fabulous flavors of red wine, so give Rosé a chance! It’s easy to do.
Close your eyes if you need to and take a big sip. You’ll soon forget everything you knew about Rosé in the 80’s. It is time to stop judging Rosé strictly by its color.
Remember the lesson you were taught as a kid—don’t judge a book by its cover or a wine by its color. It’s what is inside the bottle that counts!
Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach®, is a wine educator and author of the award-winning book “The Sipping Point: A Crash Course in Wine.” Her specialty is delivering wine edu-tainment for corporate events, group tastings and team-building seminars. She is also a sought after guest expert on radio shows across the country, including Martha Stewart Radio. You can reach her on twitter @thewinecoach or on facebook at www.facebook.com/winecoach.
Read more of Laurie’s work at The Sipping Point in the Communities at the Washington Times.
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