Do you turn your nose up to pink wine? If you do, shame on you and your prejudiced palate.

This week the Press Democrat’s Blind Tasting features rosé since many of the 2013s are just starting to roll onto the market, and we’ll continue to highlight the best and the brightest with other tastings.

Rosés are decidedly pink, but the bone-dry nature of so many now on the market will surprise that uppity palate of yours.

In this 60-second communique we can prep you for all you need to know to celebrate the advent of rosé season.

1)      For the uninitiated, here’s how the wine is PINKED: Red grapes are lightly crushed and left to soak on their red skins for a few hours to a few days. Then the juice is separated from the skins (called must) and fermented in tanks. The longer the grapes soak on the skins, the deeper the pink.

2)      Rosé isn’t a varietal but rather a type of wine made in a certain way. Think of it as the METHOD behind the madness. For this reason it can be made from almost any grape. Most are made from blends with varietals like grenache, sangiovese and syrah. For the bean counters in the crowd, the biggest producers are France, Spain, Italy and America. That said, there’s plenty of other places tinkering with pink and finding amazing results.

3)      You can drop the attitude. Yes, the fraternal twin of dry rosé – that mass produced, overly sweet white zinfandel – has given pink wine a bad rap over the years. But dry rosés, especially bone-dry rosés can be exceptional when they have great acid, mineral and bright fruit.

With five seconds left, I leave you with this thought: A dry rosé can be the most refreshing quench on a warm spring or summer day. Drink pink and report back.

(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)