Rosé wines

Rosé wines have endured a bad reputation over the last 40 years, and deservedly so. White Zinfandel – which is a Rosé, not white – exploded in popularity in the ‘80s, prompting California winemakers to churn out jugs and jugs of the stuff. As with any wine that gains notoriety, unskilled vintners jumped on the white zin bandwagon by the droves and produced all sorts of cheap horrible stuff.  BOX OF WINE! America eventually woke up from its rosé hangover and swore off the stuff forever. But that ruined the market for good rosés being produced all over the world, forcing Rosé to live underground until recently. So, what is a Rosé? A rosé is wine made from a red wine grape, but not soaked in the skins of the grape. This makes for a less tannic (tart & dry) wine, and one that is light pink rather than dark red. Because it doesn’t have the tannins associated with most reds, Rosés are served chilled and are the perfect afternoon wine for somebody who just can’t get into the acidity of a white wine. A good Rosé also makes a refreshing summer treat, which makes it the ideal time to get one. The Europeans never lost their love for Rosés because they know how to do it over there. A good rosé should not be the overly sweet and syrupy head- ache producer that California churned out in boxes. A good rosé should instead be fairly dry with a crisp dried fruit finish. The Rhône River Valley in France has always produced some of the best Rosés out there, and around the year 2000, the Rhône Rangers of Santa Barbara County began to use their Syrah grapes as a base for Rosé. The result was spectacular, and Rosé was once again allowed to sit at the cool table in Californian wine circles. Today, Ampelos Cellars of Santa Ynez has a “Rosé of Syrah” 2023. Like a good Rosé, it has a nose of tangerine, watermelon, pomegranate and apple. Ampelos also throws in a dash of Grenache and a dollop of Riesling for a bit of depth and sweetness to counter the minerality. On the palate, it is herbal with a slight mineral presence combined with a dried strawberry finish. A couple of wineries in Temecula have produced a Rosé of Cabernet Franc with a bit more depth and even bubblegum finishes! Welcome back Rosé!

 Arrivederci!

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